When I walked into the new SAPS office the end of Feb for my March Zim Safari, one of the head men Shadrack Moletsane, called me by name.
When you are in a Police Station, in a Strange country with guns, and they call you by name it is either very very good, or very very bad.
This time it was very very good. Louis of the Afton House had advised MR. Moletsane of my pending arrival.
The process went like this.
MR M was very friendly, he asked for my SAPS forum, when he saw it was filled out properly he smiled, when I handed him my invitation letter he was happier, When I handed him a color copy of my passport, and a color copy of my return ticket he was overjoyed, copies of my forms 4473 put him over the top. He replied "MR.----, You are Golden, you make it very easy when you have all your paperwork together.
He looked at my paper work then had a uniformed junior officer come out and I opened my tuffpak.
I first pulled out my Freedom Arms 475 revolver.
When the JO saw the handgun case he said, You have a handgun? As I zipped it open and took it out I replies yes a hunting handgun, and I handed it to him. He called out to MR M he has a revolver. Mr M replied Does it have a scope?, He replies Yes, Mr M says Then it is OK.
I took out both rifles and showed the calibre and the serial number.
The JO went to a booth and began filling out the import paperwork, I replaced everything back into the TP.
As He filled out the paperwork Mr M came out and set with me in the "waiting Area" The new office has 8 booths and several waiting chairs.Mr M asked how do I like the new office. He stated that he knew there had been problems in the past, and unnecessary delays. He stated there is a new head of the SAPS firearms desk and they want to make things easy for sportsmen comming into SA to get their guns in and for those traveling through not to mis connecting flights. He was very friendly and was genunine in what he said.
The rest of my stuff was never looked at by customs.

Two days later when leaving for Zim I went through the exiting office, same one as 2004. They looked at the serial numbers of the guns. All were very friendly, no problem.
I was never asked for any money, nor did I sense any attempt to suggeast it.

That's a great thing.
Question, why the colour copy opf your passport and return ticket?

Why color, because they look just like the original.

Tony,

It is always simple when one has all their paperwork in order...The little things make it work better...

Mike

It is good to hear the process may be quicker now that they are in the new office.

I'll be there next week, hope it goes smoothly

It is good news that things can work well in RSA. It is also proof that if the paper work is done correctly things will go smoother. If the PHASA recomendations is accepteted by the goverment the application form will only be a one pager. What apleasure that will be.