Amnesty for South Africans surrendering firearms

PRETORIA - South Africa has announced amnesty for surrendering illegal firearms till the next three months, a move aimed at curbing violent crimes.

The firearms amnesty period beginning Monday will end April 11. The dispossession of illegal and unwanted legal firearms during this period will significantly help in the fight against crime, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

“What prompted us to declare this amnesty, amongst other factors, is that South Africa has a significant pool of illegal firearms in circulation which contribute to the high rate of serious and violent crime as well as firearm-related crimes,” he was quoted as saying by BuaNews.

“Through this amnesty, we are also advocating for voluntary surrendering for destruction of licensed firearms.

“We therefore emphasise ‘it is voluntary’. In other words, this is the call-to-action to all individuals to surrender such firearms which they may be in possession of but no longer need,” he said.

Mthethwa said the period should also be seen as part of government’s programme to promote responsible gun ownership.

It was not the government’s stance to criminalise law-abiding citizens who missed the period to renew their firearm licences, he said.

National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele, however, said those who ignored this last call to submit their licence applications would be dealt with severely.