18 JULY 2024
SAGA Media Release - Opinion Piece - Women and Firearms
12 JULY 2024
SAGA Alert: Crisis with Firearm Training
 | Firearm Training Crisis 12 July 2024.pdf (508.47KB) |
| Firearm Training Crisis 12 July 2024.pdf (508.47KB) |
21 JUNE 2024
SAGA Opinion Piece - A Strategic Perspective on Pro Gun Advocacy
13 JUNE 2024
SAPS Firearm Destruction Notice
SAGA would like to bring to your attention Government Gazette 50797.
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE - STAATSKOERANT, 10 JUNIE 2024 No. 50797
GOVERNMENT NOTICES - GOEWERMENTSKENNISGEWINGS
DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
No. 4956
10 June 2024
NOTICE IN TERMS OF SECTION 136 (1) OF THE FIREARMS CONTROL ACT, 2000 (ACT NO. 60 OF 2000)
By virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 136 (1) of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000), I Sehlahle Fannie Masemola, National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, in my capacity as Registrar of Firearms as contemplated in Section 123 of the said Act, hereby give notice that the State intends to destroy all firearms, ammunition as well as firearms parts that were voluntarily surrendered to or forfeited to the State. For a list of firearms intended to be destroyed by the State, interested parties can visit the South African Police Service's website at https://www.saps.gov.za
In terms of Section 136 (2) of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000), any person who has a valid claim to such firearm or ammunition or such firearm parts may, within 21 days after the date of publication of this notice, make representations to me as to why such firearms or ammunition or such firearm parts and ammunition should not be destroyed, Any such representations period, reach me at the following address
By Post: The National Commissioner (Registrar), South African Police Service, Private Bag X811, PRETORIA 0001
By Hand: The National Commissioner (Registrar), Office No.29, 2nd Floor, Suncardia Shopping Centre, Cnr Steve Biko and Stanza Bopape Streets, Arcadia PRETORIA 0001
Email: XabaSI@saps.gov.za
GENERAL NATIONAL COMMISSIONER: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE
SF MASEMOLA (REGISTRAR OF FIREARMS)
Date: 2024-04-25
| Gov Gazette 50797 10June2024.pdf (217.52KB) |
| Gov Gazette 50797 10June2024.pdf (217.52KB) |
31 May 2024
Rebuttal GFSA
16 May 2024
Rebuttal SAPS on eNCA
10 May 2024
SAGA Gun Gauge - Elections 2024
| SAGA Gun Gauge 10 May 2024.pdf (2.29MB) |
| SAGA Gun Gauge 10 May 2024.pdf (2.29MB) |
28 July 2023
TRANSPORTATION & USE OF FIREARMS
| Firearm Transport and Use July 2023.pdf (137.87KB) |
| Firearm Transport and Use July 2023.pdf (137.87KB) |
08 MARCH
THE SAGA TRUST - NOTICE
The South African Gunowners’ Association (SAGA) is a proud advocate of the responsible and lawful ownership and use of firearms by South African citizens. As an organization, we believe that firearms serve as a crucial tool for personal protection, hunting, sport and recreation.
We note in recent news that there is the possibility of a class action lawsuit being launched against the Police Minister on behalf of families of those murdered with firearms smuggled by police members, as well as survivors of such crimes.
SAGA remains committed to working with government and law enforcement agencies to address issues related to illegal firearms, including those that may have been smuggled from the police to gangsters. We believe that responsible firearm ownership and management, coupled with effective law enforcement, are key to ensuring the safety and security of all South Africans.
SAGA extends a warm invitation to all South African citizens who embrace the principles of safe and responsible firearm ownership to join us in our efforts to protect and preserve our rights.
24 May 2023
CHANGES TO FIREARM LICENCE APPLICATION FEES
| Firearms Fees Amendment Gazette 48604.pdf (190.82KB) |
| Firearms Fees Amendment Gazette 48604.pdf (190.82KB) |
8 MARCH 2023
THE SAGA TRUST - NOTICE
The South African Gunowners’ Association (SAGA) is a proud advocate of the responsible and lawful ownership and use of firearms by South African citizens. As an organization, we believe that firearms serve as a crucial tool for personal protection, hunting, sport and recreation.
We note in recent news that there is the possibility of a class action lawsuit being launched against the Police Minister on behalf of families of those murdered with firearms smuggled by police members, as well as survivors of such crimes.
SAGA remains committed to working with government and law enforcement agencies to address issues related to illegal firearms, including those that may have been smuggled from the police to gangsters. We believe that responsible firearm ownership and management, coupled with effective law enforcement, are key to ensuring the safety and security of all South Africans.
SAGA extends a warm invitation to all South African citizens who embrace the principles of safe and responsible firearm ownership to join us in our efforts to protect and preserve our rights.
28 FEBRUARY 2023
SAPS 539 PERMISSION TO STORE
Please be advised that the SAPS 539 Permission to Store a Firearm form has just changed.
The new form is attached for your attention.
This new form will apply to all new applications for permission to store a firearm and does not affect exisiting storage forms until such time as they need to be renewed.
The main difference between the old and new forms is that this form requires the signature of both the licence holder or responsible person and the person who will store the firearm.
| SAPS 539 Permission to Store Feb2023.pdf (227.07KB) |
| SAPS 539 Permission to Store Feb2023.pdf (227.07KB) |
21 FEBRUARY 2023
SAGA TRUST STATEMENT
SOLVING OUR CRIME AND VIOLENCE PROBLEM
South Africa is in the midst of a violent crime crisis. The latest crime statistics puts us on track for over 30 000 murders per annum, and a rate of 50 homicides per 100 000 population. Which makes us the most homicidal nation on earth.
The total failure of policing and the criminal justice system is to blame for this state of affairs. The rot first became apparent after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and by October 2018 National Commissioner Khehla Sitole told parliament that the national crime prevention strategy had “collapsed” and it is “impossible” for the SAPS to fulfil its constitutional mandate.
This state failure created a colossal security vacuum, and criminals readily exploited it. As a result South Africa now has among the highest levels of organised crime in the world. And our rapidly rising violent crime rates flow directly from it.
Construction and taxi mafias, gangs and illegal miners (Zama Zamas) are well-established and prolific. They are well-resourced, have captured certain police stations and parts of state security organs, and readily use violence. All of the recent tavern massacres are directly associated with organised crime groups carrying out mafia-style attacks. As are gang hits, taxi route warfare, and other types of so-called “mass shootings”.
The SAPS not only appear entirely powerless to stop them, but alarmingly are themselves actively targeted and attacked in their police stations by criminals raiding for guns and ammunition.
To further exacerbate matters, in many cases corrupt police officers are working directly with the syndicates and supply them with arms. As per Mark Shaw’s book Give us More Guns, corrupt cops literally flooded the gangs with guns stolen out of SAP13 evidence stores and armouries. A practice that continues to this day.
Our security crisis is well-defined, but there is little meaningful action from the state in taking on the syndicates. Dear Member
Instead, special interest groups and government officials have disingenuously used violent incidents to call for stricter gun control legislation and civilian disarmament. South Africa, which has a civilian rate of firearm ownership of a mere 9.8 guns per 100 people (which is less than half that of Germany, and less than a third that of Austria and Canada) is allegedly suffering from a “proliferation” of guns. A patently and demonstrably false claim.
Civilian-held firearms are not the problem – and the solution does not lie in further regulation or restrictions.
We know, as is supported by independent research from the Wits School of Governance (commissioned by the Civilian Secretariat for Police in 2014), that firearm control legislation has no meaningful impact – if any at all – on crime and violence. Instead the level and strength of policing is the key determining factor that directly influences our murder and violent crime trends.
Both Dr. Johan Burger and David Bruce from the Institute of Security Studies in their various writings indicate agreement with this conclusion. As do numerous other security consultants and experts.
Pathetically low conviction rates – 15% for murder, 9% for rape, and less than 3% for trio crimes – mean that violence is cheap. There are zero meaningful consequences for criminals using extreme violence to get what they want. Combine this with the high level of dysfunction of the SAPS and crime intelligence, and you have a recipe for disaster.
We must place our focus on addressing and solving the very obvious and agreed-upon problem: our corrupt, criminally-infiltrated, and broken police and criminal justice system. Astoundingly, in defiance of all available evidence and common sense, we are still entertaining public discussions about civilian disarmament.
This discussion is wholly non-sensical and a waste of time.
We need a solutions-driven approach to fix policing and criminal justice. This is a serious and monumental task. And it will require the whole of civil society’s involvement to get it right. Unless we begin this task as a matter of grave urgency, our crime and violence problem will continue worsening beyond the current astronomical level.
Demanding we ban ordinary law-abiding people from defending themselves and their families with firearms in what is due to be the most homicidal and dangerous country on earth is not the solution. It is, instead, complete insanity.
14 FEBRUARY 2023
SAGA PRESS RELEASE – NEWZROOM AFRIKA
SAGA Chair, Damian Enslin, was interviewed live on Newzroom Afrika yesterday evening and has issued a press release today. Below is a link to the interview and underneath that is the press release.
SAGA is fighting for your firearm rights. Ensure your membership is up to date and encourage other firearm owners to join SAGA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVikspN9x9U
14 FEBRUARY 2023
LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNERS STAND UP AGAINST MISLEADING BLAME IN SA'S FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE
With heavy hearts, the South African Gunowners’ Association (the SAGA Trust) extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Kiernan "AKA" Forbes, who was tragically taken from us in Durban last week.
We acknowledge the reality of the high crime rate and violence in South Africa, but we reject the false narrative that guns are the root cause of the problem. According to a recent study by the Research platform Wisevoter, only 4.87 deaths per 100,000 people in South Africa were caused by firearms, while 16.95 were caused by stabbings. With a population of 60.6 million, this equates to tens of thousands of South Africans being affected by violence that has nothing to do with firearms.
We take issue with the misleading information being spread by organizations like Gunfree South Africa and the recent statement by Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, who calls for stronger gun laws as the solution to violence. The proper use, ownership, and training in firearms can lead to a safer society, which more restrictions on law-abiding citizens cannot do.
To truly combat the high crime rate in South Africa, we need a multi-faceted approach. This includes effective policing, better leadership, neighbourhood watches, and a focus on education and rehabilitation programs to address the root causes of violence. The South African National Police Service (SAPS) has long struggled to fulfil its mandate of combating and investigating crime, and its recent restructuring has only further handicapped its ability to serve and protect the public.
It's clear that poor leadership is the real issue at hand, as demonstrated by the recent riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng that resulted in the death of 337 people and widespread destruction, while the police seemed unable or unwilling to intervene.
The SAGA Trust believes in the importance of advocating for the proper use, ownership, and training in firearms as a means of promoting safety and security in South Africa. We cannot allow false information and political agendas to dictate the conversation on violence and crime in our communities.
In light of these recent events, we call on the government to prioritize addressing the root causes of the high crime rate in South Africa, including the ineffective and under-resourced policing. It's time for a comprehensive approach to reducing violence in South Africa, and this starts with acknowledging the real issues and working together to find effective solutions.
15 NOVEMBER 2023
THE SAGA TRUST – JOIN SAGA
Please share this, the more members we have the bigger our voice is!
21 JULY 2022
SAGA RELEASE - AMNESTY IBIS TESTING DELAY
The IBIS testing on some firearms that were handed in under the amnesty cannot be completed because these firearms were made inoperable by their owners prior to handing them in. This is now causing a delay in the evaluation of the new licence applications for these firearms as the IBIS testing has to be completed first.
If you handed in a firearm under the amnesty that you made inoperable prior to handing in by taking out the firing pin or bolt action, then you are requested to please take these parts to your DFO.
19 JULY 2022
SAGA RELEASE - AMNESTY FIREARMS
With the permission of Martin Hood we are circulating his comments about firearms handed in during the amnesty:
For all those who handed in firearms under the amnesty, who are still waiting for an approval, here is the answer to your question regarding your firearm at the SAPS.
The question has been frequently asked whether amnesty firearms fall under the directive and if amnesty applicants can collect their firearms from SAPS.
In short, my answer is no, amnesty firearms do not fall into the ambit of the Fidelity judgment.
Here's why.
The amnesty was the best choice at the time to legalise an expired firearm license and firearm. It was never going to be ideal or the optimal choice but it was all we had. It was a proclaimed or regulated process, permitted by the FCA, and the process itself was a separate legislated process that was applicable at a particular point in time.
The Fidelity judgment was never about amnesties and says nothing about the amnesty process. Therefore the judgment does not help persons who applied for amnesty. I agree this appears to be unfair, but it simply is what it is and we have to accept the situation. People did what the law permitted at that particular time, and circumstances changed due to a judicial interpretation of the FCA. This type of situation happens in law from time to time.
Another reason to consider is the administration that SAPS would have to undertake to bring amnesty firearms into the Fidelity judgment. Many applications are being processed and are partially completed, and it will be difficult to undo these processes in an organised way.
I know some of you will scream at me that this is SAPS’s own fault, we should never have had an amnesty, the process has taken too long, etc etc, and I agree with you.
However, let's be practical and realistic. If we are, I think you will understand, even if you do not agree with me, what my reasoning is and why amnesty firearms must be dealt with through the amnesty process. Hopefully, now it will be a simple shall issue process for an amnesty license.
WRITTEN BY MARTIN HOOD
08 JULY 2022
EXPIRED LICENCES – SAGA ADVISORY ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CASE AND THE RECENT SAPS DIRECTIVE DATED 1 JULY 2022
As many of our members may be aware by now, SAPS have issued a directive with respect to the recent Constitutional Court (Con Court) judgement of the 27 May 2022.
The Con Court dismissed the Minister of Police’s Appeal and upheld the Supreme Court Appeal’s Judgment, in favour of Fidelity. The Con Court held that there was nothing in the Firearms Control Act which prevented someone with an expired firearm licence from applying for a new licence for the firearm.
We have now been waiting for a number of weeks for the SAPS directive which has now been received and is dated the 1st July 2022.
The directive establishes the process that SAPS will follow with respect to accepting and processing new firearm licence applications for those with expired licences. The process is as follows:
- You must have a valid competency certificate, or apply for a new competency certificate, or renew your competency certificate, before you can apply for a new licence for the firearm.
- Once you have received your competency, you can apply at your DFO for a new firearm licence with form SAPS271, fully motivated with supporting documents and the reason for the firearm.
- The firearm does not have to be surrendered to the DFO and provision has been made in Annexure B for the firearm to be stored by the applicant. The applicant will have to confirm that the firearm will be kept in a safe that complies with the FCA and its Regulations. Annexure B will be uploaded with this advisory and will be available on the SAGA website.
- The directive in paragraph 7 thereof further states that, “DFOs need take into consideration the Constitutional Court directives in the matter of SA Hunters against the National Commissioner of Police not to criminalise quite a number of citizens. In other words, the Constitutional Court does not expect SAPS to prosecute holders of firearms whose licences expired and wish to rectify the position.”
- The guidelines to the directive further state that in the event that the applicant’s application is refused he/she will have an opportunity to dispose of the firearm, by selling, donation, deactivation, surrendering or any such manner as the Registrar may determine.
- There is no mention of the fact that an applicant can appeal the licence refusal, but it stands to reason that in terms of the FCA and Regulations, an applicant should be entitled to appeal, but SAGA will clarify this with CFR and SAPS.
- Another issue we are going to clarify with SAPS is whether those who do not wish to apply for new licences, but who may wish to dispose of such firearms, whether they may dispose of these firearms with a registered firearm dealer.
- Further, in SAGA’s view it should be permissible for those with an expired firearm licence to transfer or dispose of the firearm without going through an application process and that such persons should be entitled to transfer the firearm to a registered firearm dealer. SAGA will request clarification from SAPS on this issue.
In SAGA’s view - and more than likely the court’s view - those with expired firearm licences who utilised the amnesty process cannot now move from that process to this process, as the amnesty was a separate legal/parliamentary process.
SAGA wish to give thanks once more to Martin Hood, Fidelity and Fidelity’s legal team including their Advocate, and to Fidelity itself for taking this matter all the way to the Constitutional Court, at great cost and risk to themselves and we appreciate all the efforts of the parties concerned, as it has benefited scores of gun owners.
With this Directive, SAPS has at last taken a realistic and pragmatic view in this matter and applicants do not have to surrender their firearms to SAPS, which had occurred in the previous two amnesties, nor pay a penalty at all.
Should any further developments occur and should further directives be issued and received, we will immediately advise our members accordingly.
06 JULY 2022
SAPS DIRECTIVE 1 JULY 2022 ON EXPIRED LICENCES
SAGA has just received the attached SAPS directive with regard to the implications of the Fidelity judgement.
We will distribute an advisory on this in due course.
20 JUNE 2022
SAGA RESPONSE TO A CONVERSATION WITH DAILY MAVERICK ON 9 JUNE 2022
It comes as no surprise to all lawful gun owners that Adele Kirsten of Gun Free South Africa is once again on the campaign to have all firearms – and more specifically those for self-defence – banned.
It also comes as no surprise that she is unable to provide any substantial evidence or proof of her statements that “the majority of people who are being shot and killed in South Africa are young men between the ages of 15 and 29” and “that about 23 people are being are shot and killed every day.”
Quite typically the timing of her attack on legally owned firearms follows on another fatal shooting in the Western Cape, which the South African Police are either unable or unwilling to address. Rather than laying the blame on the incompetence of local law enforcement to effectively deal with gun-related violence in the Western Cape, she advocates the ban on the very instruments at the disposal of lawful gun owners to protect themselves and their loved ones against unlawful attacks.
This is the kind of unsubstantiated nonsense that we have come to expect from her. It appears that rather than doing something positive about the violence in the gang-ridden Western Cape, like joining various Community Policing Forums to try and find an answer to the prevalence of unlicensed firearms in the hands of gangs, she takes the easy way out by calling for a ban on licensed, legally possessed firearms, thus becoming part of the problem rather than the solution.
Her false narrative says murders will stop, if only we confiscate guns – a subtle but seductive error of logic. Weapons aren’t the issue. It is the use of weapons, for evil purpose by misguided or evil people, that’s what needs attention. It is quite evident that she thinks that disarming good people will make bad people harmless.
One wonders where she obtains her information now that her champion, Jeremy Vearey, is no longer in the police and no longer able to supply her with sensational information.
SAGA therefor calls on her to stop being part of the problem and to become part of the solution. We can rightfully ask what she has done to become involved with communities where all forms of violence are a daily occurrence. The answer is simple: “nothing” because it is easier to take the cowards’ way out and blame others.
15 JUNE 2022
SAGA RELEASE 15 JUNE 2022 - SAPS FIREARM DESTRUCTION LISTS
SAGA has just had word that SAPS have updated their website with the lists of Firearms earmarked for destruction.
The lists of firearms to be destroyed can be found using the following link:
https://www.saps.gov.za/resource_centre/notices/notices.php
The lists are in order of Province
One can use CTRL-F to search for any firearm
13 JUNE 2022
UPDATE ON SAGA CLASS ACTIONS AND LICENCE CARDS CLASS ACTIONS
16 NOVEMBER 2021 |
12 NOVEMBER 2021 |
08 NOVEMBER 2021 |
03 NOVEMBER 2021 |
27 OCTOBER 2021 |
19 OCTOBER 2021 |
