SA Hunters: Legal firearm ownership Is a privilege, not a right

Discover how SA Hunters supports responsible firearm ownership through shooting activities, firearm licence assistance, safety training and member services. – BY ANDRÉ VAN DER MERWE

 

There is a misconception that firearm ownership in South Africa is a right enshrined in our Constitution, as is the case in the USA (to keep and bear arms). However, the same right does not apply to South Africans.

The best possible interpretation of the provisions of South Africa’s Constitution and the Firearms Control Act (Act 60 of 2000) is that legal firearm ownership in South Africa is a privilege. However, there are three articles in our Bill of Rights (Chapter 2 of the Constitution) that are relevant in the context of firearm ownership for self-defence, sport shooting, hunting or as part of a collection, namely:

• Everyone has the right to life.
• Everyone has the right to freedom of association.
• The right to own property.

For almost two decades, law-abiding citizens have faced numerous obstacles relating to firearm ownership and compliance with the requirements of the Firearms Control Act. Applying for a firearm licence requires the patience of Job to deal with the processes and red tape.

Fortunately, SA Hunters members benefit from the expertise and support of knowledgeable staff who assist them with these processes. Once you finally have your competency certificate and firearm licence in hand, SA Hunters offers firearm owners a variety of opportunities to improve their shooting skills and pursue their passion for sport shooting.

SHOOTING ACTIVITIES

Branches

Shooting activities at branch level give members the opportunity to develop their shooting skills according to their abilities and interests. The social atmosphere in which branches organise their activities creates opportunities for families to participate in formal and fun shooting events and use their firearms in a safe environment.

Branches focus particularly on involving children so that young people can also become responsible firearm owners.

Regions

During the first half of the year, members can participate in organised sport shooting competitions at regional and national level. They compete in various shooting disciplines suited to a wide variety of firearm types.

National level

In the second half of the year, the shooting activities culminate in eight individual national shooting championships to determine the top shooters. All these shooting activities at branch, regional and national level take place at shooting ranges hosted by the branches.

This is an important part of SA Hunters’ culture: “Shooting is our business, and business is good!”

Shooting ranges

The success of the shooting activities is made possible by SA Hunters’ branches, which develop and maintain approximately 100 shooting ranges across the country. The national office provides financial support to branches to develop and improve their shooting ranges, assists with drawing up lease agreements with landowners and advises on the design and erection of name and information boards for the shooting ranges.

The high standard of the shooting facilities and the opportunities they offer are SA Hunters’ showcase and source of pride.

Access to outdoor shooting ranges is becoming increasingly scarce, particularly in the metropolitan areas of Gauteng, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Some urban branches therefore have no choice but to use indoor shooting ranges, especially for certain sport shooting activities conducted over shorter distances.

Firearm safety

The enforcement of safety rules at shooting ranges is non-negotiable for SA Hunters. The branches have an exceptionally good safety record. The fact that no fatal shooting accident has occurred at any of the Association’s organised shooting events to date bears testimony to the branches’ commitment to strictly enforcing firearm safety at shooting ranges.

This is largely thanks to trained range officers and officials who enforce the rules and ensure that every shooter acts responsibly to protect the safety of fellow shooters and spectators.

ALSO READ: What Is Bisley Shooting? A Guide to the Different Classes

Each branch trains its own range officers according to SA Hunters’ standardised courses and specific shooting disciplines. For example, the training of range officers for the sport shooting multi-discipline differs from the training of range officers who serve at a shooting range where hunting rifles are used.

This consistency in the application of safety rules at shooting ranges ensures that shooters also apply the same rules for the safe handling of firearms at home or in the hunting field. At the shooting range, the range officer ensures that everyone follows the safety rules, but when shooters are on their own – at home or in the hunting field – they must enforce these rules themselves.

Assistance with firearm licences

Membership of a hunting and/or sport shooting association is already recommended when applying for firearm licences and is a prerequisite for those who wish to own more than four firearms. SA Hunters’ service in this regard extends far beyond simply providing a membership certificate.

The Association’s Firearm Helpline assists with the following:

• Applications for new firearm licences.
• Licence renewals.
• Issuing of endorsements.
• Motivation for licence applications.

This service makes the licensing process easier. On request, the Firearm Helpline issues endorsements certifying that a firearm is suitable for the purpose for which the member is applying for a licence.

Members who wish to own more than four firearms are required to first qualify as dedicated hunters and/or dedicated sport shooters. This involves training, an examination (or evaluation) and the issuing of a certificate if the course is successfully completed.

The member can then apply to the national office for dedicated hunter and/or dedicated sport shooter status, which forms part of a member’s motivation for a firearm licence.

ELECTRONIC MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM

SA Hunters’ electronic membership administration system is unique and provides each member with a personal profile. Certain information is automatically updated electronically from the branch tablet, where all member attendance is recorded, while members can also add and change information themselves.

Services provided electronically include:

• Registration of new members;
• All the services of the Firearm Helpline mentioned above, with endorsements, for example, being issued within 24 hours;
• Hunting and shooting activities logbook – branches keep electronic records of their activities and shooting scores so that the activities of members with dedicated hunter and sport shooter status remain up to date, enabling them to maintain their status annually as required by the Firearms Control Act. Activities that the member does not attend through the Association (but which are also recognised for dedicated status), such as hunts and shooting activities organised by other organisations, are uploaded to the member’s personal profile by the member;
• Records of members’ hunting reports, which are completed by the member after each hunt;
• Records of members’ firearms, including information such as the expiry dates of their firearm licences, with SMS notifications to remind members to apply for licence renewals in good time;
• Regional rankings of shooting results are continuously and automatically updated to keep members informed of their positions in the eight different shooting disciplines in which they can participate at regional level;
• Based on the final regional rankings, the top shooters are invited to each of the national shooting competitions held during the second half of every year, and these results also appear on the national rankings on the membership administration system;
• Complete hunting trophy records are updated annually with information submitted by the branches on behalf of members;
• Wildlife sightings of rare species by members;
• Access to the above information is available on each member’s personal computer/tablet or through the SA Hunters mobile application.

SA HUNTERS WEBSITE

The SA Hunters website, www.sahunters.co.za, is packed with information about every possible aspect of the Association’s activities. The shooting affairs section of the website includes, among other things, the following:

• Standard shooting exercises conducted only at branch level;
• Eight shooting disciplines conducted at regional and national level;
• Current articles on topics such as firearm safety, the compulsory wearing of shooting glasses and hearing protection;
• A shooting skills manual for hunters;
• News about national shooting competitions.

(This article was published in the August 2023 edition of SA JAGTER/HUNTER)