Dringende nuusbrief vanaf SAJWV
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 2:09 pm
DRINGENDE SPESIALE NUUSBRIEF / URGENT SPECIAL NEWSLETTER
12 November 2015
Dear Colleague
This newsletter is deliberately sent to you in English only for the benefit of our English speaking members and the urgency of the matter at stake. I do not want to waste time to have this message translated before it goes out to you
Renewal of Firearm Licenses
In the October newsletter sent to you about two weeks ago I warned that the SAPS will most likely take a different stance on the matter of late applications for the renewal of firearm licenses. This is indeed happening now.
In terms of Section 24 of the Firearms Control Act (No 60 of 2000) an application for the renewal of a license must be made to the Registrar (by handing in such application at your local DFO) “at least 90 days before the date of expiry of the license”
We are aware of the fact that for quite some time now the practice at many of the DFO’s was to indeed accept late applications, process these and have new licenses issued for such firearms.
As I warned about two weeks ago, a new instruction was issued by the Deputy Commissioner Visible Policing on 21 August 2015 (but apparently only distributed last week) that indicates that licenses for which applications are received late should be dealt with as prescribed in Section 28 of the Act. This is followed by an instruction from some of the Provincial Commanders that explicitly spell out what should be done by DFO’s.
Section 28 of the Act prescribes that a firearm license terminates at the expiry date ((Section 28 (1)) and that the Registrar my cancel such license (Section 28 (2)) if the holder of the license did not comply with any provision of the Act. Section 28 (3) requires the holder of the license to be given a notice that he/she may within 30 days submit representations why the license should not be cancelled. The Registrar must then consider such representation and either issue a renewal license or refuse the renewal of the license and direct the owner that the firearm must be disposed of in a prescribed manner.
The owner then has 60 days within which he/she must dispose of the firearm in the way prescribed by the Registrar. If such disposal is not done the firearm must be forfeited to the State and the owner must surrender it as prescribed (Section 28 (5)).
In the instruction sent out by some of the Provincial Commanders it is explicitly stated that the procedure to be followed if a late application for renewal of a firearm is received (please note any application handed in later than the 90 days before the expiry date of the licenses is a late application) the DFO must do the following
1. Complete the Form SAPS 533 (Request to Cancel a Firearm License)
2. Hand to the owner or license holder the notice to inform him/her that he/she may in writing provide representation within 30 days why the license should not be cancelled
3. Complete SAP 86 (a) (The SAPS Checklist to be completed with an application)
4. Submit the completed documentation to the Provincial Office
I have been provided with information from a reasonably reliable source that the intention of the SAPS is to eventually have the majority of these firearms surrendered with the intention to eventually have it destroyed.
There are some of our members who are of the opinion that if you still have your old green licenses, these are still valid and there is no need to renew the new (white card) licenses. This is incorrect. If you renewed your licenses and were issued with the white card licenses, the old green licenses lapsed and are not valid any longer.
I would like to urge any of our members who did not apply in time for the renewal of any firearm license to do so as soon as possible. The instructions to DFO’s as I indicated above may just not yet have been received by all DFO’s. Please hand in your application for the renewal of a license as soon as possible. If you are presented with the notice to submit representation to the Registrar why the license should not be cancelled, please do so as soon as possible and with the strongest motivation possible
I would also like to remind you of the free “licence renewal reminder” service that we offer via the online member administration system. If you register your firearms with the relevant licence expiry dates under the ‘Firearms’ section on your personal SAHGCA profile, we will send you an SMS reminder about the upcoming renewal 100 days before the expiry of the relevant licence.
Dedicated Hunter and Dedicated Sportshooter Status
Dedicated hunters and sportshooters that wish to maintain their status are reminded to submit annual activity reports by the end of October. The first SMS has gone out to those dedicated members who did not comply by reporting the required activities and we are inundated by calls and telefaxes from some of the about 8 000 members who did not comply with the requirements.
The requirements for maintaining dedicated status are as follows:
• Dedicated hunter: any two hunting related activities per annum
• Dedicated sportshooter: any three SAHGCA sportshooting activities per annum of which one may be duty as range officer
We want to keep the number of activity reports that we receive via e-mail and/or fax to the minimum and request members to make use of our online facilities for updating their activity logs. Members can also contact Mart-Marie on 083 2688 622 for assistance on the online members administration system.
Any member that is unable to record his/her activities online can download the dedicated status activity or non-activity report here (look for the ‘Member Forms’ section on the right hand side of the screen). The completed form can be sent by e-mail to dedicated@sahunt.co.za or by fax to 086 522 0218.
Members who did not complete the relevant number of activities must submit a non-activity report. Without any report (activity or non-activity) on record, it will be extremely difficult to retain dedicated status. If you have already received an SMS to inform you that you are compliant, no further action is required.
Yours sincerely
Fred Camphor
SAHGCA Chief Executive Officer
12 November 2015
Dear Colleague
This newsletter is deliberately sent to you in English only for the benefit of our English speaking members and the urgency of the matter at stake. I do not want to waste time to have this message translated before it goes out to you
Renewal of Firearm Licenses
In the October newsletter sent to you about two weeks ago I warned that the SAPS will most likely take a different stance on the matter of late applications for the renewal of firearm licenses. This is indeed happening now.
In terms of Section 24 of the Firearms Control Act (No 60 of 2000) an application for the renewal of a license must be made to the Registrar (by handing in such application at your local DFO) “at least 90 days before the date of expiry of the license”
We are aware of the fact that for quite some time now the practice at many of the DFO’s was to indeed accept late applications, process these and have new licenses issued for such firearms.
As I warned about two weeks ago, a new instruction was issued by the Deputy Commissioner Visible Policing on 21 August 2015 (but apparently only distributed last week) that indicates that licenses for which applications are received late should be dealt with as prescribed in Section 28 of the Act. This is followed by an instruction from some of the Provincial Commanders that explicitly spell out what should be done by DFO’s.
Section 28 of the Act prescribes that a firearm license terminates at the expiry date ((Section 28 (1)) and that the Registrar my cancel such license (Section 28 (2)) if the holder of the license did not comply with any provision of the Act. Section 28 (3) requires the holder of the license to be given a notice that he/she may within 30 days submit representations why the license should not be cancelled. The Registrar must then consider such representation and either issue a renewal license or refuse the renewal of the license and direct the owner that the firearm must be disposed of in a prescribed manner.
The owner then has 60 days within which he/she must dispose of the firearm in the way prescribed by the Registrar. If such disposal is not done the firearm must be forfeited to the State and the owner must surrender it as prescribed (Section 28 (5)).
In the instruction sent out by some of the Provincial Commanders it is explicitly stated that the procedure to be followed if a late application for renewal of a firearm is received (please note any application handed in later than the 90 days before the expiry date of the licenses is a late application) the DFO must do the following
1. Complete the Form SAPS 533 (Request to Cancel a Firearm License)
2. Hand to the owner or license holder the notice to inform him/her that he/she may in writing provide representation within 30 days why the license should not be cancelled
3. Complete SAP 86 (a) (The SAPS Checklist to be completed with an application)
4. Submit the completed documentation to the Provincial Office
I have been provided with information from a reasonably reliable source that the intention of the SAPS is to eventually have the majority of these firearms surrendered with the intention to eventually have it destroyed.
There are some of our members who are of the opinion that if you still have your old green licenses, these are still valid and there is no need to renew the new (white card) licenses. This is incorrect. If you renewed your licenses and were issued with the white card licenses, the old green licenses lapsed and are not valid any longer.
I would like to urge any of our members who did not apply in time for the renewal of any firearm license to do so as soon as possible. The instructions to DFO’s as I indicated above may just not yet have been received by all DFO’s. Please hand in your application for the renewal of a license as soon as possible. If you are presented with the notice to submit representation to the Registrar why the license should not be cancelled, please do so as soon as possible and with the strongest motivation possible
I would also like to remind you of the free “licence renewal reminder” service that we offer via the online member administration system. If you register your firearms with the relevant licence expiry dates under the ‘Firearms’ section on your personal SAHGCA profile, we will send you an SMS reminder about the upcoming renewal 100 days before the expiry of the relevant licence.
Dedicated Hunter and Dedicated Sportshooter Status
Dedicated hunters and sportshooters that wish to maintain their status are reminded to submit annual activity reports by the end of October. The first SMS has gone out to those dedicated members who did not comply by reporting the required activities and we are inundated by calls and telefaxes from some of the about 8 000 members who did not comply with the requirements.
The requirements for maintaining dedicated status are as follows:
• Dedicated hunter: any two hunting related activities per annum
• Dedicated sportshooter: any three SAHGCA sportshooting activities per annum of which one may be duty as range officer
We want to keep the number of activity reports that we receive via e-mail and/or fax to the minimum and request members to make use of our online facilities for updating their activity logs. Members can also contact Mart-Marie on 083 2688 622 for assistance on the online members administration system.
Any member that is unable to record his/her activities online can download the dedicated status activity or non-activity report here (look for the ‘Member Forms’ section on the right hand side of the screen). The completed form can be sent by e-mail to dedicated@sahunt.co.za or by fax to 086 522 0218.
Members who did not complete the relevant number of activities must submit a non-activity report. Without any report (activity or non-activity) on record, it will be extremely difficult to retain dedicated status. If you have already received an SMS to inform you that you are compliant, no further action is required.
Yours sincerely
Fred Camphor
SAHGCA Chief Executive Officer
