Definitely will be waiting for Amnesty to renew instead
The recently announced amnesty was ILLEGAL. SAPS tried to bypass parliament and got rapped on the knuckles about it. Amnesties are also the best way to hand your firearm to a criminal. Never make use of these amnesties.
Even your local gunshop will tell you the same
Generally speaking, the guys/gals working at gunshops are chops with little to no knowledge of the law. They know the basics, just enough to confuse and lead you down the wrong path.
What happened to the court case that was supposed to be in Nov 2016, any outcome?
The judge ruled that it was not urgent. He merged it with another case from SA Hunters (I think??) and it is due to take place in April.
1. Just because the cop at the station and the dude at the gunshop tells you this, does not make it true.
2. The court case regarding the green licences is ongoing. That means that green licences are still valid.
3. The firearm doesn't become an "illegal firearm". The licence holder becomes in illegal possession of that firearm, there's a big difference.
4. You can't claim ignorance because when you did your competency you were taught how long licences were valid for and when they should be renewed.
My tip: DO NOT hand in the firearm. Get in touch with a firearm lawyer immediately (specially if the licence has already expired). Stop lending out your ears to people working at gunshops and to cops at the station who often knows less about the FCA than the leaves in the trees.
This is good advice
It is if you've never renewed, i.e. if you ONLY have the green license, then it is still valid.
No. Even if you have a white license, if you still have the old green ID license, it is valid. The 2009 judgement from SA Hunters court case, the ruling stated that "ALL green licenses are still valid, pending a future decision by the court". It does not state that the green license is valid only if you have never applied for a white license. It explicitly states that ALL green licenses are still valid.
This is also the view held by SA Hunters, National Hunting & Shooting Association (NHSA), Gunowners of South Africa (GOSA), and Martin Hood (a respected firearms lawyer).
This will be the case until some time in the future that the 2009 decision is either reversed, or made permanent in some fashion (declare FCA unconstitutional?). Neither SAPS, nor SA hunters has persued this any further. SA Hunters sees this as a "win", as the licenses are still accepted as valid. SAPS does not want to lose, and the possibility exists. Thus the status quo.
