BRANCH NEWS, DECEMBER 2025: KAAPJAG CENTRAL

An update from the Chairman

Dear Member As our shooting year of 2025 draws to a close, I thought I would update you on matters since my last letter of April 2025. It has been a difficult year and a lot has happened – all of which appears to make our sport more costly and difficult to do. Some significant events have affected us in particular:

1 – Western Cape Shooting Union increase in Affiliations fees plus an additional levy for each member of the affiliate Club.

2 – Closure of Durbanville Shooting Club end of March 2026

3 – Dave Sheer Guns

1. Western Cape Shooting Union

For many years Kaapjag Sentraal has been an affiliate of the Western Cape Shooting Union. This affiliation has given Kaapjag Sentraal access to the shooting ranges located by the Military Ranges at Atlantis. While we do not have our own range at Atlantis, with planning we can find one for our centerfire matches and members also get access to the MSA Founders Range on a Wednesday and Saturday for a reduce fee. Of course, the Club (Kaapjag Sentraal) pays an annual Affiliation fee for this privilege.

In 2021 the Annual Affiliation fee was R11500, in 2024 R13970 and in 2025 it was increased to R16,000. Additionally, this year the Affiliate Member Range Fee for use of, for example, MSA Founders Range, was increased from R30 per day to R100 – and Visitors (i.e. those not members of an Affiliate Club) the day fee is R200. This increase, while cause for concern with regards to our financial planning, was not, on its

own, a major problem. However, in 2021 earthworks were started to build a range for Durbanville Shooting Club as they were “under notice” to vacate their existing facility. The earthworks were promptly shut down by the Authorities and WCSU were required to restore the area to its original state. Subsequently, WCSU have had to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Public Works Department on the basis of needing to extend their lease and because the investigations carried out after the 2021 incident highlighted many irregularities and points of concern with the WCSU ranges at Atlantis.

To this end, in February 2025, WCSU Excom proposed a three-year budget to cover the EIA costs, to realign the ranges with the original agreed design, and to plan for growth and development in the future. The WCSU main proposal for income is to impose a levy of R120 per Club member of each Affiliate Club. Now, for a Club with say, 50 members, whilst a costly exercise, one could argue it is manageable, because the total annual levy would be R6000. However, Kaapjag Sentraal was listed, at the time of the budget proposal, as having 1627 members – meaning we would be required to pay a levy of R195,240 plus R16,000 Affiliation fee – a total of R211,240. This amount is projected as an annual requirement for three years going forward. Over a three-year period the budgeted liability is in excess of R575,000.

Kaapjag Sentraal does not have adequate funds to pay such sums. We hold only four or five matches a year at Atlantis and the amount is disproportionate to our use of the facility. Additionally, on average, we will only have 35 of our 1600 members attend a match at Atlantis making the Affiliations fees disproportionate in terms of members who actually benefit from the Affiliation. However, Kaapjag Sentraal Exco did approach Kaapjag Head Office Exco in April 2025 to ask for financial assistance. Quite correctly, the sums being discussed were deemed excessive and the request denied. Because Kaapjag Sentaal had not paid the 2025 Affiliation and levy fees, WCSU quite correctly gave Kaapjag Sentraal notice that their Affiliation would be suspended on 25th May 2025 and the Club would no longer be allowed to hold matches at Atlantis. Additionally, Kaapjag members would no longer enjoy paying range fees as an affiliate (Was R30, which was increased to R100) but would be treated as a Visitor, with a range fee of R200. Kaapjag Sentraal Exco sent out a notice to all members early May to give notice of the increased range fee starting 25th May 2025. Kaapjag Sentraal Exco are still in discussion with WCSU to try and mitigate the problem and come to a more agreeable solution. It is encouraging that WCSU Exco are trying to find a solution for us. However, at the moment, as we are no longer an affiliate. In the meantime, we are holding our centerfire matches at Waylands Farm near Darling. Feedback from those who have shot matches at Waylands Farm is very positive and all our 2026 center fire matches are currently planned for this location.

2. Closure of Durbanville Shooting Club end of March 2026

Durbanville Shooting Club (DSK) also announced earlier in the year their lease for the shooting range at Durbanville would not be renewed after 31st March 2026 and they would need to relocate their organisation. Kaapjag Sentraal have close ties with DSK and we hold all our 22LR events at the range in Durbanville. This announcement in effect, would shut down Kaapjag Sentraal sport shooting in Cape Town and make life very difficult for us.

Kaapjag Sentraal Exco have been very busy trying to find an alternative location with little success. However recently the Chairman of DSK, Andre Stander, announced they were in negotiation with the Owner of the range property and would probably/hopefully be staying at the Durbanville range, albeit with some changes to the way the range is managed. Probably with a different, commercial management team running the range instead of DSK.

While the future of DSK is still uncertain, we are hopeful that we may be able to remain at Durbanville. However, and it is a big however, if the Land Owner introduces a management team to make the range a commercially viable enterprise it can be only one thing – our costs of holding a match at that location will probably increase, significantly!

It is all speculation at the moment and as soon as I have further information I will pass it on to you.

3. Dave Sheer Guns

Kaapjag Head Office have entered into an agreement with Dave Sheer Guns at the new Groote Pheasantekraal View shopping mall. This gives all Kaapjag members the benefit of 50% off the indoor range fees and 2.5% off selected good in store. This arrangement is fortuitous in light of the cancellation of our WCSU Atlantis affiliation as it means to rent a lane at the indoor 200m rifle range using our members discount equates to the amount we paid as an Affiliate visitor to Founders Range (R100) plus there is a lot less traveling.

2026 Shooting Calendar

Finally, next year’s shooting calendar is on the Kaapjag website: www.kaapjag.co.za/calendar

A number of the match dates and locations are provisional and I hope to be able to firm up on them in the New Year once we receive further information. We are also introducing a Family Team category for our matches. The idea is quite simple, to encourage Families to shoot a match as a Family and also to help manage the price of entry fees. Currently, if a family of five (Parents and three children) enter a 22LR match it costs R200 per adult and R50 per child under 18, giving an entry fee of R550. We have proposed a fixed entry fee of R450 for a maximum of five family member. Scores will be accumulated as a family using the three highest scores.

I hope to see many more families joining us in 2026.

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Yours in sport shooting,