A Muslim social worker's firearm licence application was rejected due to her hijab.
A Muslim social worker's firearm licence application was recently rejected, and she was told that because she was wearing the hijab in the application photo, "they may not accept it". But what do the Constitution, SAPS requirements and regulations say and has something like this happened before?
South African legislation does not appear to list wearing a hijab or other religious head covering as a disqualifying factor for obtaining a firearm licence.
The Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 lists the requirements applicants must meet to obtain the necessary competency certificate and firearm licence. These include requirements relating to competency, suitability and the circumstances in which a firearm may be possessed.
It should be noted that the Act does not identify a religious head covering as a ground for refusing an application.
