Minister of Police gets a bloody nose about firearms 

27 May 2022

The FF Plus welcomes the Constitutional Court's judgment that lawful firearm owners whose firearm licences have expired and who did not apply for renewal within 90 days are indeed allowed to apply for a new licence.

This is a watershed judgment in favour of all firearm owners in South Africa.

The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, has always been opposed to the private possession of firearms.

He held the view that persons would unlawfully be in possession of their firearms if their licences had expired and they had not applied for the renewal of such licence within the three-month deadline.

In truth, it was nothing but an attempt to disarm the public. With the judgment, the Constitutional Court gives the Minister a bloody nose and confirms the property rights owners possess in respect of their firearms.

The judgment not only proves Minister Cele wrong, but also shows that the Minister abused his powers by offering his own interpretation of the relevant legislation.

I tabled a Private Member’s Bill on this matter in Parliament in 2017 already.

My suggestion was that when a firearm licence expires, it should be eligible for renewal as in the case of a motor vehicle licence.

The person remains the legal owner of the vehicle, or the firearm, and pays a fine for the period that the licence is overdue.

This Constitutional Court judgment confirms the purpose and validity of the Private Member’s Bill.

The FF Plus encourages all firearm owners to immediately apply for a new licence if their old licence has expired.

In terms of the Constitutional Court's judgment, the police will have no other choice but to process the application.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 27 May 2022