Cele hopes Parliament will extend firearm amnesty
Police Minister Bheki Cele said an application to extend the firearm amnesty by another six months is in front of Parliament.
His department has requested Parliament to start a new amnesty period from August 1, as gun owners did not have an opportunity to surrender their firearms due to the lockdown.
The initial firearms amnesty was approved by Parliament in November 2019 for the period 1 December 2019 to 31 May 2020.
"I believe Parliament will be able to grant us before July ends so we are able to get another six months starting 1st August to somewhere in January,” Cele said at a media briefing following his department’s budget vote on Friday.
"Having said so, yesterday (Thursday) we had an outcome on the interdict that was put by the people there, who said their guns are legal cannot be taken.
"I believe the South African Police Services side and with the commissioner, we are very reasonable. Fortunately, there is a space for this amnesty, we have people use that space.
"If they cannot renew their licences they know what to do with that, and hope everybody will use that space, we have applied for that space again," said Cele.
Listen to Cele below:
Cele budgets additional R3bn for police morale, wellness
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