The decision by the University is in line with a call made by the SAPS earlier this year that legal gun owners who opted not to renew their firearm licenses, permit or authorisation should dispose of such firearms before 1 July 2009.

“By handing our firearms to the SAPS, we are contributing to a gun-free society and we are also indicating our full support for the licensing process as per amendments to the Firearms Control Act,” said Mr Colin Fouché, Director of the Department of Security Services at the University of Pretoria.

According to Mr Fouché, the firearms that are going to be disposed of by the University this Friday were never intended for security purposes and they were never used by the University’s security personnel. The University of Pretoria had inherited some of the firearms from the old teacher training college (Normaal Kollege Pretoria). The college was incorporated into the University at the beginning of this decade. Other firearms were those that were used by certain departments for purposes related to their disciplines, e.g. departments involved in wildlife excursions, sport, musketry and related activities.

Mr Fouché indicated that the University of Pretoria has finalised its inventory of firearms that are in its possession and it has decided on the number of firearms needed for educational purposes.

“A preliminary investigation indicated that the University of Pretoria had no need for the firearms that we are going to hand over to the SAPS. The University does not have any further use for these firearms. We have all the necessary accreditation and we are in compliance with the laws of the country,” he said.

Mr Fouché added that his Department is fully committed to maintaining a safe environment that allows students to study with peace of mind and to use the University’s facilities in a safe environment.

“The safety and security of students, who are the lifeblood of the University of Pretoria, is the first priority of the Department: Security Services of the University of Pretoria,” he said.