The request for a new firearm amnesty period has been provisionally approved for the period from 1 August this year to 31 January 2021.
Tina Joemat-Pettersson, chair of the police portfolio committee, said on Friday that the committee had decided to approve the police request for this.
“The committee will recommend to the National Assembly that the proposed firearm amnesty be adopted for 2020.”
This comes after Police Minister Bheki Cele and Gen. National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole last week asked the Portfolio Committee for the new amnesty period because the state of restriction meant that the police could not get the desired result with the previous period ending May 31.
According to Joemat-Pettersson, the previous firearm amnesty was approved on November 21, 2019 for the period December 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020.
“The committee noted that 27 336 firearms and 212 476 rounds of ammunition were voluntarily submitted during this period, as well as 798 firearm parts.
“We want to praise the people who took the opportunity to hand in their firearms and ammunition. Their actions give the fight against the proliferation of firearms in our streets new impetus. ”
Joemat-Pettersson says the committee is also aware that due to the restriction, some people were unable to submit their firearms to police stations in the last month of amnesty.
That is why the committee felt it was necessary to approve the new period.
