Arrived yesterday on Delta to Jo-Burg.

WOW. I have never seen so many people processing firearms. There were probably 25 hunters waiting for permits. The line snaked outside of the office.

I am happy to say I was out first with permits off the flight! Overall, nearly total chaos, but my experience with 3rd world bureaurocracies served me well. Literally, no place to stand or move in the office, people crawling over each other, some just holding their heads in their hands, far too many waiting around for someone to help them, staring off into space etc. wondering what to do.

Still really surprised that many of the hunters were still filling out their SAPS forms in the office, being sent back out of line for not having something, or arriving at the front of the line without a passport of 4457...

Air2000 and/or several other expiditers were there too, also waiting. I beat them all out!!! HeHeHe

Still took me ...30 minutes, I am sure some people ended up waiting 90-120 minutes. When I left, there were still people in line who had not had their applications put in the pile.

The general system now is, get in line, where one SAPS guy takes the application, looks it over, finds mistakes, and if everything is ok, has you sign it, then SAPS guy number 2 logs you into the book and has you sign the book (and maybe data entries the handwritten application).

At some point one of the private security guys will need to find you and have you identify your rifle case and have you sign it as received from the security courier.

Then at some point, when you rifles have shown up at SAPS, you need to get SAPS guy number one to leave the application processing and check your serial numbers. Then the application goes to pile 3, where SAPS guy 3 will check it again, sign it, print a copy for you and then send you on your way.

Still a very long process.

WOW it seems like (Give or take) nothing has really changed a lot since last season !!! There are still some quite lengthy delays to put up with.

Not wanting to sound tooooooooooooo clever ... BUT one wonders why (THE SA Authorities) dont get clever like they do in Zambia and make your Outfitter (apply in advance) for the permit, that certainly seems to be a BIT MORE efficient.

This is how the system works in Zambia which has some (checks and balances) built in whereby THE OUFITTER has to be (pre-registered each season) with the POLICE which then authorises an Outfitter to apply for the clients permit.

This pre-registration with the Police is done through ZAWA the Wildlife Department controlling hunting, so in theory ZAWA and the Police can (check in advance) that the OUTFITTER is a bona fide operator with all the necessary credentials to conduct a hunt and then DULY register them with the Police as legally allowed to apply for rifle permits

Maybe I was born too long ago and my logic is outdated, some authorities in the modern world seem to prefer inefficiency, maybe it justifies their existance ....

Cheers, Peter

It has to require at least 4 stages and different people to process, because the South Africans bought their gun registration system fmor our government here in Canada.

quote:

system works

The present system works very well for most of the authorities involved . Inefficiency can be very profitable, let some rich guys sit for a hour or two and see how easy they come up with a $$$ to speed up the process. There seems to be a symbiotic relationship between the authorities and all the new gun handling services. Why on earth would they want to change?

I was lucky last week and early april as I had only a couple rifle owners in front of me and the process was quite fast.
The flights from Australia have few hunters which might help also.

Guys,

Another very good reason to consider flying BA. A lot fewer hunters coming in through London equals much shorter lines. There were 2 hunters on our flight last August. I'm expecting the same this Sept.

Mark

Canadian gun in-processing has been much easier, at least for me. Only once did I have a long wait, and that was because it was a training day and the key person was at lunch.