The unsuccessful client is going to be going back in August, we were told, which is when the second client will also be hunting his elephant. In the meantime, two other clients will be hunting buffalo in the park. Stay tuned for an update....
On a more downbeat note, it appears the South African government is poised to pass a draconian gun control bill that will not only restrict the gun rights of South Africans but also complicate the temporary import of firearms by hunters. You can read the entire bill on-line at: http://www.saga.org.za; or a summary of its most pernicious elements on our own web site (www. HuntingReport.com/southafricagun bill). The summary was prepared by SA gun activist, Alex Holmes.
Clients booked into South Africa at this point do not need to worry about immediate changes in gun-handling policies. Longer term, there is the distinct possibility that incoming hunters will have to prove in some way they are "fit" gun owners and that their firearms have been duly "registered." The former requirement presumably may be met by something like the "police letter" that the Mexican Government requires. It's anyone's guess how the second requirement would be met by Americans, who aren't required to register their guns. Equally problematic, temporary import permits are almost certainly going to have to be applied for in advance - perhaps as much as 12 weeks or more in advance. The permits will be serial-number-specific, too, meaning no last-minute changes in rifles will be allowed.
Again, the proposed bill is not yet a law, and efforts are underway........(continued)
