The firearms amnesty has missed its target and many ”illegal” guns that have been handed in are registered on the police database, but not in the names of heirs who have inherited them, the South African Gun Owners’ Association (Sagoa) said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Martin Hood said such people are legal owners under previous legislation.
He said Sagoa calls for an amnesty that urged criminals to hand in weapons without fear of comeback.
”The minister [of safety and security] is badly advised by the police, who want to catch criminals. Sometimes there has to be a compromise,” Hood said. ”It’s better to get illegal firearms out of circulation and let the criminals go than to let them use the weapons again.”
Hood also said the current trend by police will ”lead to the total [legal] disarmament of civilians”.
He further warned that the stringent requirements in place have caused an increase in the underground trade in firearms.
”People who would otherwise comply with the law will rather own an illegal gun.”
Hood said an effective amnesty will allow people, like a mother whose son was involved in armed crime, to hand in her son’s weapon quietly without him knowing and have no comeback for either herself or for her child.
The amnesty, which started on New Year’s Day, ends at midnight on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, safety and security ministry spokesperson Trevor Bloem said from KwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal that 1 335 illegal firearms had been handed in between 7am on Wednesday and 6am on Thursday, as well as 1 334 legal firearms.
”In addition, police around the country confiscated 161 illegal firearms,” said Bloem, who is accompanying Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula on a firearms imbizo (meeting) in areas worst affected by firearm violence.
”In typical South African fashion, people are waiting for the last minute,” said Bloem.
He reiterated the minister’s warning that from midnight on Thursday anybody who has not handed over firearms will ”face the full might of the law”.
The total number of firearms handed in since the amnesty began on January 1 at 6am stood at 10 801 illegal weapons and 19 688 legal weapons.
A total of 8 387 illegal firearms had been confiscated in the same period.
Legal weapons handed in include unwanted firearms and ammunition that could also be too expensive for owners to keep under amended firearms laws. — Sapa