Newsletters

Dear Member,

1.   The Limpopo SAPS Commissioner on 19 July 2023 issued a Directive in which he indicates that the FCA does not prohibit the interchangeable use of firearms licenced under section 13, 15, 16 or 16A of the FCA, for either sport shooting and/or for hunting and/or for self-defence.

2.   This means that firearms licenced under the sections of the FCA as mentioned in paragraph 1 above, may also be legally carried and used for any of the mentioned three purposes.

3.    Legal firearm licence holders are frequently taken to task for wanting to use a section 15 licensed handgun for self-defence purposes when travelling and stopped at a roadblock.  Legal firearms owners are then extorted out of large sums of money in illegal bribes for various reasons.  One such reason is that a person may not travel with a loaded section 15 or section 16 handgun or firearm (despite it nowhere stating as such in the FCA).

4.    It is important to note that our legal representative, Mr Juan Kotzé, had since December 2017, under instruction from Natshoot, numerous times in letters and verbally in high level discussions, requested SAPS to start implementing this very issue (much as they now have done through the Limpopo Directive).

5.    Mr Kotzé had also sought Advocate Henry Cowley’s legal opinion on the statement re use of firearms for legal purposes other than merely for the strict use they were originally licensed for (see paragraph 1).    

6.    Members can read the legal arguments of Mr Kotzé in this regard https://natshoot.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/00 NEW WEBSITE/SAPS_Directives/2023/1691077501714-Kotze-2017-Use -15-16 Firearms-for-Self-Defence.pdf

7.     Preceding the Directive of the Limpopo SAPS Commissioner, the Free State SAPS Commissioner issued a directive to inform police members that the only document needed by a firearm owner, when travelling, is the licence of the specific firearm itself (or proof of the receipt received when the licence was renewed if the original had expired).

Download the Free State SAPS Directive here: on having a valid licence for a firearm in your possession if one should be stopped at a roadblock.

Download the Limpopo SAPS Directive here: on using licenced section 13, 15, 16 and 16A licenced firearms for hunting and/or sport shooting and/or self-defence.

We suggest you make hard copies of both the above-mentioned documents and always travel with them if you travel with your firearms.

Be assured that Natshoot will continue to fight to protect our members’ rights in respect of firearm ownership which is free of extortion and corruption.

Kind regards, Natshoot Office