Guns handed in since 2004 -the real figures.

[Martin Hedington]

36/1/4/1/200900035 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY - QUESTION NO 150

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 JUNE 2009 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 - 2009)

Date reply submitted: 20 July 2009 Mr P J Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Police:

(1) In respect of each year until the latest specified date for which information is available, how many (a) legal owners’ licensed firearms and (b) illegal firearms have been handed in to the SAPS for disposal since the Firearms Control Act, Act 60 of 2000, came into force;

(2) whether he will make a statement on the matter?

REPLY:

(1) (a) The following number of legal firearms have been handed in by legal firearm owners at the various police stations:

PERIODS NUMBER OF FIREARMS
1 July 2004 to 31 December 2004 14 482
1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005 63 442
1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006 22 105
1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 12 305
1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 13 382


(b) An amnesty has been declared by the Minister for Safety and Security to cater specifically for the surrendering of illegal firearms to the South African Police Service. The amnesty period was from 1 January 2005 to 30 June 2005. During the period, a total of 33 823 illegal firearms have been surrendered to the South African Police Service for destruction.

2. Yes, The Firearms Control legislation make provision for legal firearm owners to in a responsible manner hand in obsolete, redundant or unwanted firearms to the South African Police Service for the necessary destruction. This ensure that legal firearm owners did contribute through preventative behavior that a total of 125 716 unwanted firearms did not end up in the hands of criminals in South Africa.

The South African Police Service will continue as in the past to address the proliferation of illegal firearms through day-to-day policing operations. As from the date the Firearms Control legislation came into force (1 July 2004) until 30 June 2009 the South African Police Service recovered a total of 104 880 illegal firearms which is a testimony of their commitment to react at all illegal firearms in circulation in South Africa. END

Begging the question perhaps; where are the hundreds of thousands of weapons that CFR are claiming?

Martin_tu @ BGOASA.

[wrm]

Yea, there are many many hints (like your wife saying "do whatever you like" -- that's a *hint*) that an audit is essential.