Parliament, Wednesday, 23 October 2019 – The Portfolio Committee on Police today unanimously approved an application from the Ministry of Police for a firearms amnesty as per section 139 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No 60 of 200). In approving this amnesty, the committee’s main consideration was reducing proliferation of firearms from South Africa’s streets as a pillar of fighting crime.
The committee has proposed that the commencement date be moved to 1 December 2019 up to May 2020. This is to allow all the administrative processes still left in Parliament to be concluded.
Furthermore, the committee has urged the ministry and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to consider a concession for people who were not able to renew their firearms licences and allow them to utilise this period of amnesty to apply for the requisite licence.
Despite the approval, the committee has requested a detailed report of the 2005 and 2010 Firearms Amnesty that outlines a breakdown of the firearms received, either legal or illegal. Furthermore, the committee has requested a provisional report on the implementation of the amnesty at the beginning of February and every second month thereafter.
The committee urges all South Africans to take advantage of the amnesty and to surrender their firearms to the SAPS and actively to participate in efforts to remove firearms from our streets as a means to aid the fight against crime.
The committee will now recommend to the National Assembly to approve the amnesty.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MS TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON
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Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
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E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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