2004 Volume 1

Firearms Control Act Regulations

By Peter Moss, Moderator SA FirearmForum: SAFirearmForum-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

More than four years have passed since the ANC put into operation its citizen disarmament plan. The delay is in part due to the ideological and foolish provisions of the Act, but in no small way the part played by the dedicated few rather than what should have been the many. The conduct of the ANC government and SAPS throughout, from Act to regulations and current licence applications are mired in underhand, deceitful and outright undemocratic processes.

The Firearms Control Act now awaits completion of the regulations, which have been split into sections to help this almost impossible ideological task to completion. The last section of which called for resubmissions, closed on the 5th January.

The accreditation of organisations, competency certificates, licences, dealers, manufacturers, gunsmiths, import, export and transport, storage and carry, additional permits, conditions of accredited organisations - establishment of the CFR database are covered in this set of regulations. Submissions decided by the SAPS as suitable had already been incorporated and submitted to the Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security. With redrafting by the SAPS the regulations suddenly grew from some 50 odd pages to a staggering 106 pages. A large number of changes were for no apparent legislative reason suddenly included. Most of these changes attempted to make law by regulation and incorporate sections of the Act that had already been rejected as foolish, impossible to implement, impossible to enforce and just ideological pie in the sky that could be used to reject any applications. One can assume that the drafters of the regulations received new political instructions.

The ANC members of the Portfolio Committee were of the opinion that the public should not be given another opportunity to comment on these major and vast changes. Their comments as reported by the Parliamentary Monitoring Group simply defy belief. “The Chair (M. E. George) said … but the principle arguments of the many who did not want the Act to be adopted, had to be disallowed.” It seems that simply continuing to point out the failing points of the regulations and Act is of no interest to the Chairman. “Ms A Van Wyk (ANC) stated that a thorough consultation had already taken place. There had been complaints about crimes and police being killed on duty. Since this was an instrument to help reduce those incidences, the Draft Regulations should be finalised so that the Firearms Control Act 2000 could be implemented.” Perhaps more telling of the ANC attitude is this gem. “The Chair said that he felt that the companies had received ample time to view their comments and that the sooner the Act could be implemented, the better.”

We have an election coming and every vote for another party will ensure that the ANC does not maintain its majority. You as a firearm owner have a duty to inform others of the dangers and waste of more than R2,180 Million on just implementing this Act.

Make a difference and, for a change, let your voice be heard. It is never too late to get involved.