The 23 firearm registration centres in Gauteng will be closed down because the Firearms Control Act has been amended, provincial police commissioner General Mzwandile Petros' office said on Thursday.
“This office wishes to state that the decision was based on the amendment regulations as proclaimed in the Firearms Control Amendment Act which indicates that all renewals and competency applications will be dealt with at local ( police station) level,” said Colonel Neville Malila in a statement.
This comes after AfriForum spokesman Nantes Kelder “condemned” the decision by Petros to close the centres in an article published by the Beeld newspaper on Thursday.
Kelder said the decision would cause chaos in future and nobody knew what was going to happen to pending applications.
Malila said: “This measure therefore takes the services closer to the community who don't have to travel to a central place but instead apply at their local police station.”
He said the police stations had been supplied with application forms and they were also available on the SAPS intranet, where it can be printed if not available.
Minister of Police Nathi Mthetwa announced the amendment of the Firearms Control Act 28 of 2006 on December 14.
The centres will be shut down on Friday. -
Sapa