13 Dec 2019

Police Minister is pleased the firearms amnesty period is going ahead as planned

Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele wishes to assure South Africans, the Firearms Amnesty period is on track. The Firearms Amnesty commenced on the 1st of December and will end on the last day of May next year. The Minister says “The original Firearms Amnesty Gazette published on the 27th of November 2019 has been amended to contain the number and names of police stations that firearms cannot be surrendered to, due to safety concerns.”

There are 46 such stations and gun owners who wish to surrender their firearms there, can do so at neighbouring police stations. Continuous assessments on these stations will be conducted to determine their readiness. So far over 200 firearms and 2000 rounds of ammunition have been surrendered since the start of the amnesty period.

Firearms can be handed over at police stations from 7:00 until 17:00 each day. All firearms will be subjected to ballistic testing to determine if they have been used in the commission of any crime. This period of amnesty also allows gun owners with expired licenses to apply for new licenses.

Minister Cele has appealed for maximum participation. He believes this Amnesty period will result in the reduction of illegally possessed firearms. “I encourage all South Africans who are in possession of illegal or unwanted firearms to surrender them to their nearest police stations during this Amnesty period knowing they will not be prosecuted.” - Cele concluded.

Statement issued by Lirandzu Themba, South African Police Service, 13 December 2019