It was today confirmed that the Minister of Police has withdrawn the proposed amendments (2015) to the Firearms Control Act.
This means that the proposals for the application of microdots to firearms, the ballistic fingerprinting of firearms, and the limit of only two semi-automatic long guns for dedicated sport shooters and dedicated hunters (except with compelling motivation) are now scrapped.
Unfortunately much needed amendments, such as the one where the late renewal of firearm licences are punished by an administrative fine that must be paid before the documents are processed, have also been scrapped.
This means that the matter of expired licences will only be dealt with in the upcoming April court cases.
None the less, I personally see this development as a massive victory for South African gun owners. The fact that some sort of common sense has prevailed at government level is a clear indicator at how effective an organised, motivated, and proactive firearm rights movement can be at facilitating change.
We can celebrate this victory. We must, however, keep bolstering our strength and organising our structures, because another amendment is sure to follow this one. In fact, an entire revision of the Act may be in store for us. If we do not want the government and anti-gun organisations to saddle us with further unworkable restrictions, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.
Well done to each and every person out there that supports South African gun rights. You are the true stars of this show, and you deserve a pat on the back. Let’s take this train forward, folks.
The fight goes on.
