BACSA on the Successful Conclusion of the Firearm Amnesty Process

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Throughout the 90 days of the firearm amnesty process, citizens were asked to be responsible owners. Unused, obsolete or redundant firearms were voluntarily surrendered.

Minister of Police, Mr N.E. Mthethwa, and General Bheki Cele at the close of the firearm amnesty process, Pretoria, 12 April 2010.

CEO of BACSA, Dr Graham Wright, commends the police for having received and seized over 32,000 firearms and over 300,000 rounds of ammunition within the 90-day amnesty period.

Dr Graham Wright, CEO of Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA), has commended the Minister of Police, Mr N.E. Mthethwa, General Bheki Cele, as well as the SAPS more generally for their proactivity and pragmatism in having put in place the gun amnesty process in an effort to rid the streets of a proliferation of illegal and legal firearms in South Africa. BACSA has, on behalf of the business community, fully supported the amnesty process from the perspective of responsible gun ownership.

BACSA also participated in both national and provincial task teams responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the flow of firearms surrendered and seized within the amnesty period, thus assisting the Police in ensuring that the amnesty process was implemented effectively across the country. Through the amnesty process, individuals and/or companies were able to hand in their obsolete, redundant and/or surplus firearms and ammunition at any police station. The police are to be commended on having made the process as user-friendly as possible.

“BACSA is proud to have played a part in this important effort from the perspective of a concerted approach to reduce crime by addressing the increased availability and abuse of firearms and ammunition. The amnesty process has helped to conscientise citizens and individuals to the important role they play in fighting the unacceptable levels of violent crime in South African society through the amnesty’s emphasis on responsible firearm ownership”, says Dr Wright.

Read Minister Mthethwa's speech highlighting the successes of the 90-day amnesty period which ended on 11 April 2010.

Read Minister Mthethwa's subsequent release calling for improved monitoring of firearm systems - 20 April 2010.