From: lucio@phyrql.Alt.ZA (Lucio de Re)
Subject: Re: Dangerous Statements ....:
Reply-To: lucio@proxima.Alt.ZA
Organization: MegaByte Digital Communications
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 10:00:29 GMT

apj@beldin.sun.ac.za (Andries Dippenaar) writes:

>Philip Machanick (philip@concave.cs.wits.ac.za) wrote:
>: In article <565@blue.cis.pitt.edu> Paul M Mweene, pmmst8+@pitt.edu writes:
>: >This would be the logical situation. Boer law allows whites to have
>: >18 guns , including grenade launchers and assault rifles, blacks are
>: >not allowed to come any where near a gun.
>: 
>: I've never applied for permission to own a weapon (nor do I intend to
>: ever own one) so I don't know the specifics of the law but I would be
>: interested to know your source for this.

>I'm no great expert either, but at the moment the law limits private
>citizens (ie. *anybody*) to a maximum of 14 firearms per person.

Twelve, and per household, whatever that may be interpreted to mean...

>Only in very special cases may that limit be extended.  The latter is
>mainly for gun collectors.  Also, when applying for a licence, proof
>must be supplied that the owner owns a safe or some such in which the
>weapon will be securely locked when not being carried on the person --

You are asked whether you own a safe, and one assumes that saying _no_
reduces one's chances to nil, but there's no legislation in force to
this effect...

>a car is not considered safe.  If you have a criminal record, you are
>automatically disqualified from owning a firearm -- I'm not sure if
>this only applies to selected crimes or if it is across the board.

It's tenuous: CCB members with criminal records have been granted valid
firearm licences.  The only crimes I know for certain disqualify one from
obtaining a firearm licence involve misuse or loss of a firearm.  Use of
a firearm is normally investigated and if it shown that the firearm was
used without reasonable cause (like pointing it as a threat), all licences
may be suspended and the user tried.

>Private individuals are also not allowed to own fully automatic fire
>arms, ie. one that can discharge more than one round per trigger
>pull -- no grenade lauchers, assault rifles, etc. as stated above;
>basically revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, hunting rifles or 
>shotguns.

There is no official statement, but semi-automatic rifles (self-reloading)
and recently pump-action shotguns have become remarkably difficult to
licence.  Semi-automatic rifles absolutely (bar Minister of Police exemption)
and pump-action shotguns apparently so.

>The gun control laws have been tightened up quite drastically in the
>past few years, because of lobbying by industry.  Attempts are/were
>also being made to require applicants to first undergo training before
>licences are granted.  Having your firearm stolen through negligence,
>is sufficient grounds for having your license revoked and your being 
>declared unfit to own a firearm.

Not quite: greater discretion is being applied, pending legislation
currently under discussion.  It is not known who has been lobbying for
such changes, but my understanding (rumour-based) is that the Police
is attempting to slow down the increase in (mostly white) gun owners.

Unfortunately, this is quite a schizophrenic action: on the one hand
the higher authorities try to curb the growth, while at the grass roots
gun ownership for whites is being assisted by local Police.

Pending legislation also seems to be as vague as present legislation,
with harsher penalties and stricter control, but no greater accountability
for the licencing authorities.  This does not create a less racially
polarised climate and gives makala ample reasons to be critical.

>Just thought I'd set the record straighter,
>Andries

Likewise...
-- 
Lucio de Re (lucio@phyrql.Alt.ZA)
The supernatural does not exist, but it gives me the creeps...