2004 Volume 1

Firearms Law Has Gun Shop Owners Up Against The Wall

A DRAMATIC decrease in the issuing of firearm licences ahead of the implementation of the new Firearms Control Act next year has gun shop owners up in arms, saying that many more of them would be forced to close.

According to the latest figures available, at least 100 registered firearms dealers closed up shop between 2000 and 2001.

Shop owners said one of the major reasons was the lengthy wait for licences to be approved. Durban Guns and Ammo owner Justin Willmers said an average of 80 approved licences a month had dwindled to only one or two approvals in the past few months.

Other dealers in the Durban area, including KwaZulu Guns and Brian's Guns and Ammo, confirmed similar trends.

Willmers said fewer people were applying for licences as they did not want to wait up to six months for their firearms.

Most dealers require an up front payment for firearms or a three-month payment option. In the past it took one to three months for the licences to be processed.

"People are just not prepared to pay thousands of rands and wait for months before they know if they will be allowed to get the weapon," Willmers said.

More people are putting their guns up for sale or handing them over to the police. "People are selling their weapons, especially people who own more than one handgun. "They want to get rid of their firearms because under new legislation a private owner will only be allowed one handgun for self-defence," said Willmers.

Police spokesman Snr Supt Andrew Lesch said scores of people were handing their guns in to be destroyed. "We do not keep statistics on the number of weapons handed in for destruction, but there has been a marked increase, especially from people, mostly widows, who inherited firearms, but have no use for them," said Lesch.

Applications for firearm licences dropped from 248,000 in 1998 to 151,000 in 2001. He added that firearms with historical or sentimental value could be deactivated by the police and kept without a valid gun licence.

Although the Act of 1969 was still officially in place, courts ordered police to ensure that people who applied for licences were fit to carry firearms and had reputable references and received training from an accredited range and instructor.

According to new laws, a person applying for a licence must be interviewed by a designated firearms officer at a police station, who must ensure that he or she meets the necessary requirements, including not having a criminal record or violent tendencies.

The police are also required to interview family members and neighbours to ensure that the gun licence is issued to a responsible owner.
While firearm dealers may not like the tightening of legislation, Gun Free South Africa welcomed the move.

Spokesman Joseph Dube said although there was a backlog in the issuing of gun licences, the law as it stood still allowed for 16-year-olds to apply for firearms.

"We acknowledge the responsibility of the police when firearms are issued. What is best for the public might not be considered best for dealers, but it is in the public interest that there are fewer firearms around."