Read the Full Text of the NHSA Policy on Maintaining Dedicated Status HERE
As from 1 January 2017 the Final Reporting Date for annual dedicated activities is 30 November
This date replaces all reference to 31 December in all NHSA Policy documents relating to dedicated status.
For 2017, dedicated activities participated in between 1 January 2017 and 30 November 2017 are taken into account for maintenance of dedicated status for 2017, and for compliance up to 30 November 2018.
For 2018 and the years thereafter, dedicated activities will be taken into account from 1 December to 30 November the following year for maintenance of dedicated status, in order to give NHSA adequate time to prepare the compulsory annual report we have to furnish to SAPS on 31 December annually (see Regulation 4(2)(b))
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JUST TWO STEPS TO ANNUALLY ASCERTAIN THE MAINTENANCE OF YOUR DEDICATED STATUS WITH NHSA
STEP ONE: Ascertain your membership is paid up for the reporting year (you must at least be paid-up till 30 November of every reporting year).
STEP TWO: Report any THREE of the activities [in any combination] indicated below, which are relevant to your dedicated status, on the Activities Page of your Personal Natshoot Profile Page before 30 November annually (please read HERE if you do not know how to log activities)
Note: Dedicated hunters & Sport persons have the option to report any THREE of the activities mentioned below [in any combination].
The reporting systym is thus easy to comply with; by maintaining your dedicated status in a specific year before 30 November, you ascertain your compliance up to 30 November the following year.
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AT NHSA WE ACKNOWLEDGE ALL FIREARM RELATED ACTIVITIES OUR DEDICATED MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN, SO AS TO ANUALLY MAINTAIN DEDICATED STATUS.
- NHSA Postal shoots (Target scores entered on a member's Scores Page).
- NHSA annual national competition (Target scores entered on a member's Scores Page).
- Attendance of any firearm, hunting and or sport shooting Expo, Fair, or Show.
- Hunting or sports shooting loads development.
- Reloading of hunting or sports shooting rounds.
- Attendance of a reloading course;
- Attendance of a hunting and/or sport shooting related meeting.
- A hunt in which a member participated in (furred or feathered game).
- Culling.
- Damage causing animal control.
- Gundog training.
- Attendance of hunters training courses (furred or feathered game hunting).
- Presentation of hunt training course with no remuneration;
- Sighting of the scope of hunting rifle before the hunt.
- Formally arranged non-NHSA target shooting competitions
- Formal, non-NHSA target shooting event members participate in
- Any other sport shooting related activities
We merely ask that members enter their activities under the correct headings as are indicated below. Please ascertain that you read the detail of each heading and take note of the examples of proving documentation at each heading, which needs to accompany all submissions of activities.
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BASIC PRINCIPLES:
NHSA accepted appropriate dedicated activities are understood to be a hunting or sport shooting related activity or event as described below.
The reported activity or event must be:
- strictly legal;
- clearly firearm related as understood in terms of a firearms described in Section 13, 15 and 16 of the FCA;
- clearly hunting related, or clearly sport shooting related.
NHSA unconditionally accepts the word of its members
SAPS has, however, indicated that they would prefer it that additional proving documents should be attached to activity entries in order for the activity to be verified. Remember all NHSA procedures are electronic and we do not have branches like other associations where members can verify the activities of each other.
For a member’s dedicated activities to be approved by NHSA, an entry must, with no exception, be accompanied by attached documentary proof showing clearly that the reporting member had participated in that activity or event (proving documentation must be presentable in a court of law). Proving documentation must be scanned in PDF format or be presented in photographic format (i.e. a cell phone photo with the date of the activity on the photo itself or on a piece of paper in the photo subject - a photo with a hunter and an impala or of a person at a target says nothing, as it could have been taken at any time, anywhere).
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NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
1. Multiples of targets shot on one day (albeit with different calibres) are calculated as one activity as it is not the targets shot, which constitute the recognized activity, but the fact that the member was active at the shooting range on that day;
2. A hunt which took place on one day is calculated as one activity;
3. A hunt which took place over multiple days is calculated in units of two days as being equal to one activity (date left from home to hunting venue and date left from hunting venue to home included).
4. Members can attach up to three proving documents at each activity entry (these also serve as a system of record keeping for the member self).
5. Dedicated Members are welcome to attach the annual reports they have submitted to another accredited association they might also belong to, as proof of their dedicated activities. However, attaching an Annual Report meant for another accredited association is, in itself, not verification of the activities mentioned on that report, unless the activity is clearly shown to be verified by the association it was intended for. You can read the reasons for this proviso HERE
6. Use your activities report to be more than just a process to maintain your dedicated status, because proof of use of firearms are very important at renewal of firearm licences - read why that is so HERE
7. Special note to Dedicated Hunters who are also Professional Hunters and/or Outfitters: Regulation 4(e)(ii) prohibits an accredited hunting association to award dedicated hunter status to a member if the association is aware of the fact that the dedicated member, does hunting related work (like PH work) with Section 15 or Section 16 licenced firearms.
8. Reporting Dedicated Activities in year Dedicated Status was attained: At NHSA members who attain dedicated status in a particular year, do not have to submit dedicated activities to maintain their status for that specific year. Dedicated activities to maintain status must thus only be entered for the year following the year in which the status was attained (either per course or per RPL-process) . But please read here re reporting activities regularly
Despite requiring documentary verification for activity entries to be approved, it is accepted that dedicated members understand that all entries for dedicated activities are also Sworn Statements, due to the legal implications attached to a member's holding, and NHSA awarding, dedicated status.
Read the NHSA's Legal Responsibilities in this regard HERE
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REPORTING OF DEDICATED ACTIVITIES
Remember - you have the option to report any THREE activities in any combination, of your status relevant activities indicated below:
A HUNTING SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES - report before 30 November annually
1. Hunting excursion: Details and examples of proving documents
2. Hunt on own Game Farm / Ranch: Details of proving documents
3. Hunting related activities: Details and examples of proving documents
B SPORT SHOOTING SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES - report before 30 November annually
1. NHSA In-House Postal Shoots: Details (entries made on your Scores Page - when approved there, the scores reflect on your Scores Page as Postal Shoot and the activity is automatically reflected on your Activities Page as an activity relating to a shooting occasion on a shooting range) - please do not enter postal shoot targets as sport shooting related activities - the entry will just be declined) - do not use postal targets to better your shooting skills please - please use practice targets - download HERE
2. Annual NHSA National Postal Target Shooting Competition: Details (entries made on your Scores Page - when approved there, the scores reflect on your Scores Page as Competition Shoot and the activity is automatically reflected on your Activities Page as an activity relating to a shooting occasion on a shooting range) - do not use national postal competition targets to better your shooting skills please - please use practice targets - download HERE
3. Sport Shooting related activities: Details and examples of proving documents
4. Non-NHSA sport shooting competition: Details and examples of proving documents
5. Non-NHSA sport shooting event: Details and examples of proving documents
C HUNTING & SPORT SHOOTING RELATED ACTIVITIES - report before 30 November annually
1. Development of a hunting and/or sport shooting load: Details and examples of proving documents
2. Reloading of Ammunition: Details and examples of proving documents
3. Hunting and/or sport shooting related Expo or Show: Details and examples of proving documents
4. Attendance of a Hunting and/or sport shooting related meeting: Details and examples of proving documents
5. Attaching dedicated reports of another accredited association as proof of activity: Details and proving documents
6. Not on List activities: Details
7. Non-Active Report: Details and examples of proving documents
