Last-minute rush to renew gun licences

Thousands of people swamped Pretoria's police stations in a desperate last-minute attempt to renew their firearms licences.

Since the start of the firearms licence renewal process in 2005, 620 000 applications have been processed across South Africa.

According to police, the number is believed to rise to more than 700 000 as those who left their applications until Tuesday - the cut-off period - dash to firearm registration centres set up at police stations across the country.

The sudden rush has sparked fears that those who do not make the midnight cut-off time on Tuesday night will begin to dump their weapons and ammunition to avoid prosecution.

This comes after police from the Gauteng Rapid Response Unit found hundreds of rounds of ammunition dumped in the Apies River at the weekend.

This included bullets for various firearms, including automatic assault rifles, shotguns and handguns, as well as hand-grenades.

The city's police stations most affected by the final rush included Pretoria Central, Brooklyn and Lyttelton which saw hundreds of people standing in queues outside the premises.

"It is absolutely crazy. I have never seen anything like this," said a Pretoria Central police station firearms registry officer.

Captain Tessa Jansen, Pretoria Central spokesperson, said by 6pm, 1 000 applicants were waiting.

"It is extremely busy here. We have had to move desks so that we can accommodate all with people sitting and standing in offices and passages," she said.

She said to accommodate those who wanted to renew their licences on Tuesday they would stay open past the midnight cut-off period.

"Everywhere you look there are people and we are not going to be able to help them if we close at midnight," she said, adding that only those living in Atteridgeville, the CBD, Hercules, Pretoria West or Sunnyside could apply for their renewals at the police station.

Lyttelton police station commissioner Director Andre Wiese said nearly 500 people had arrived at the station to renew their gun licences. "It is chaos and it is going to get worse," he said.

Captain Colette Weilbach, Brooklyn police station spokeswoman, said they had been swamped by the number of people applying for the renewal of their gun licences with more than 800 people applying over the weekend.

"Once again people have left their applications until the last minute."

Brooklyn police station's firearms centre commander, Superintendent Theresa Spammer, said a major problem was that the station's firearms training providers were fully booked.

"We cannot accept any more people and do not know what those who still have to do their training are going to do.

"They are going to have to go to accredited trainers, but it is probably going to be too late given that the cut-off day is Tuesday and you need a training competency certificate to apply for a renewal of your gun licence," she said.

She said those who left their applications to the last minute were providing ridiculous excuses.

"These range from one person's cow being sick and the man having to stay with his animal while he waited for his vet to return from holiday, to someone living in isolation, having no radio or TV and not reading a newspaper, so they did not know they had to renew their licences.

"It boils down to people being lazy," she said.

Director Jaco Bothma, however, said they were satisfied with the way the process was being handled.

"We are trying our best to address latecomers and Gauteng's police stations will stay open until midnight tonight. Those arriving after midnight will be classified as late applicants and must provide a statement and documentation as to why they were late in applying for the renewal of their gun licence.

"The only cases that will be accepted will be from those who provide proof that they were out of the country, mentally or physically incapacitated or unable to apply for renewal at the cut-off time because of circumstances beyond their control. Those who fail to renew their gun licences within the specific period face imprisonment of up to a year, a fine or both," he said.

Bothma said: "Up until June 30, gun owners have the option of selling, deactivating or destroying their firearms.

"This must be done by June 30 because from July 1 the repealed Arms and Ammunition Act with be invalid, which means that a person who has not renewed their licences or deactivated, destroyed or sold their gun will be in the illegal possession of a firearm and can be sentenced to up to 15 years' imprisonment."

• This article was originally published on page 2 of The Pretoria News on March 31, 2009