DURBANVILLE SHOOTING CLUB

8 June 2000

Re: SUBMISSION ON REVISED FIREARMS CONTROL BILL

The Chairman and management committee of Durbanville Shooting Club, on behalf of its members, wish to comment on the Firearms Control Bill. We appoint Mr. Tom Joubert and Mr. Chip Joubert to represent our club.

We support the Minister of Safety and Security in his desire to improve the control and responsible management of firearms, and curbing the abuse of firearms.

Firstly we wish to introduce our Club and give you more details of our facilities and activities, to enable you to assess our status.

Durbanville Shooting Club was founded in 1978 on the farm Groot Phesantekraal, about four kilometres east of Durbanville. We are the second largest shooting club in the Western Cape, with ±500 paid up members. We draw our membership from a broad section of the community and include persons from all races and genders, including handicapped persons. On the whole, our members are serious, dedicated sport-shooters and not one has ever committed a firearm related offence.

Our facilities are quite comprehensive, consisting of 200 metre and 100 metre rifle ranges, 50 metre and 25 metre pistol ranges, a 200 metre smallbore range and trap, skeet and sporting clay pigeon ranges. We have a clubhouse, power generator, and entertainment facilities, all built with private club funds. The Peninsula Rifle Club is affiliated to our club and shares our facilities.

Our club is affiliated to the following shooting associations:

Western Province Clay Target Association

Western Province Metallic Silhouette Association

Western Province Bench Rest Association

Western Province Pistol Association

National Rifle Association

Our members compete annually in rifle, pistol, shotgun, smallbore and silhouette competitions towards our Club Championships. They also compete in more formal shoots, and we are proud of our numerous members with Provincial and National colours.

Discipline and safety are of prime importance at Durbanville Shooting Club. Our ranges are always under control of trained range officers, who rigidly enforce the club’s safety rules and regulations. We are proud of the fact that we have never had a shooting accident in our 21 years of existence.

We trust the above has been sufficient background information for you to assess our club.

Our management committee has given the Bill its careful consideration and has the following comments, which we consider to be constructive:

1. We feel that it is the right of any member of our club to own a firearm to participate in his / her sport, as long as they qualify therefore according to the law and letter of this bill.

2. Ministerial Decree and Proclamation

The Bill allows the Minister of Safety and Security to alter the Bill by proclamation, and the Registar of Firearms to control the application of the law with regard to the posession of firearms by regulation. This power to change the Bill and apply the law is given to political appointees. This creates the perception of the possibility that the public and sportshooters can be disarmed.

We propose that any changes be by full and proper parliamentary process.

3. Competency Certificates: (Chapter 5 and 6)

There is an anomaly in the Bill, insofar that licenses are valid for 2 – 10 years and competency certificates for two years only.

We propose that both be valid for a period of 10 years.

The requirements for the competency certificate appear to be quite complex. Detailed knowledge of the Bill, a very comprehensive document, will be an obstacle to the average person.

4. Changing of Circumstances: (Clause 31)

The Bill stipulates that if one’s status as a sportsman change, then one must dispose of firearms obtained as a result of that status.

We find this clause very restrictive, and propose that exceptions be made, where one has legitimate reasons for temporarily not participating as a dedicated sport-shooter, such as work pressures, ill health, frequent travelling and moving to another town far away from a shooting club.

5. Disposal of firearms: (Clause 34)

The Bill stipulate that firearms may be disposed of only through a licensed dealer.

We object to this, as it is contrary to free market principles and infringes on one’s right to trade and dispose of one’s property oneself. One would have no control over what the dealer would charge, so the situation is open to abuse. We propose the Bill be changed to allow free trade of firearms.

6. Reloading of Ammunition: (Clause 96)

The Bill stipulates that one may not possess reloading equipment if one does not have a license.

We wish to point out that reloading equipment covers a wide field, much of it have other uses. We propose that the Bill stipulates specific reloading equipment, e.g. Reloading dies.

7. Accreditation of Shooting Bodies:

The Bill mentions accredited sports – shooting associations and ranges.

No mention of criteria is made in the Bill.

We hope our comments will receive your positive consideration and will be incorporated in the Bill. We trust the final Bill will be fair, equitable and acceptable to all. We thank you for the opportunity to comment in such a democratic manner.

Philip Olivier
Chairman