Gun owners who were unable to renew their firearm licenses in time and were subsequently barred from further obtaining a valid license will now be able to obtain their licenses.
Over the past few years, gun owners have had their weapons confiscated and subsequently destroyed by the South African Police Services due to late renewal applications.
On Friday, the Constitutional Court determined that prospective gun-owners, and those who previously had ownership, could now follow the process as stipulated in the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 (FCA) to obtain a valid firearm license.
Lobby group AfriForum said this confirmed the prior Supreme Court of Appeals judgment that a firearm, whether licensed or not, is the property of the owner until it is destroyed in terms of the respective legislative provisions.
AfriForum's Legal and Risk Officer Armand Greyling said they hoped Police Minister Bheki Cele would issue directives and promulgate regulations as soon as possible to give effect to the judgment.
He said they had been inundated with queries and complaints from gun owners.
Greyling said Afriforum would monitor and place pressure on the Police Minister to clarify the processes to be followed by gun owners to renew their expired licenses as a matter of urgency.
