SA Hunters Court Application April 2017 - Information and Documents
SA Hunters’ Court Application affects all legal Firearm Owners
The South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association’s (SA Hunters) court application against the Minister of Police about the renewal of firearm licences will be heard in the North Gauteng High Court on 25 and 26 April.
SA Hunters’ court application deals with the constitutionality of the actions by the SAPS and the Central Firearm Registry (CFR) regarding the renewal of firearm licences. The Association’s legal action followed on SAPS’ directive to police stations in February 2016, instructing firearm owners whose firearm licences had expired, to hand in their firearms at their nearest police station for destruction.
In terms of Section 24 of the Firearms Control Act (Act 60 of 2000 as amended) firearm owners must renew firearm licences that had been issued since 2006. Such a renewal application must be submitted at least 90 days before the licence expires. However, the Act does not allow SAPS to make decisions regarding the surrendering and destruction of firearms because of late licence renewal applications.
It is estimated that 190 000 firearm licences had expired since 2011 and for which no renewal applications have been submitted. Most of these firearms are handguns that were acquired for self-defence purposes for which a licence is only valid for five years.