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The Central Firearms Registry (CFR) is in operational disarray following an alleged restructuring of this South African Police Service (SAPS) division which processes civilian firearms applications and registrations.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) understands that most staff at the CFR have allegedly been promoted to senior level with nobody left to do the actual licence capturing.

In addition to the significant reshuffle of staff, I have been informed that the passwords have been changed on computers and that the CFR has come to a halt. Repeated attempts to contact the CFR proved unsuccessful as the phones have allegedly been disconnected.

Thousands of legal firearm owners who have complied with the legislation have sat waiting for years while their gun licence applications and renewals have languished in boxes at police stations. Unreasonable delays and rejected applications without reasons given are not in the best interests of people who require protection from violent criminals.

This appears to be the consequences of Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s announcement of a complete overhaul of the CFR in November 2010 “from the top structure to the station level.”

The Minister, at the time, sited the gross failure in the implementation and administration of the Firearms Control Act which necessitated the turnaround strategy.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that neither the Minister nor the CFR possess the will or capacity to address the serious challenges at the division.

I will be submitting parliamentary questions to the Minister to determine the extent of the state the CFR is currently in and why another overhaul of the division was needed.

The DA will also investigate the feasibility of requesting a forensic audit of the implementation of the Firearms Control Act and the state of affairs at the CFR.