The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is set to raid targeted homes and business premises in search of illegally held firearms commonly linked to rampant violent crimes involving the use of dangerous weapons in the country.
This follows the Friday expiry of the 53-day amnesty declared in August by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on all illegal gun owners to voluntarily surrender their weapons without any prosecution.
Police announced Thursday 545 firearms and 260 rounds of ammunition had been surrendered since the start of the amnesty. Said police in a statement seen by Pindula News:
On 29/09/22, seven firearms were voluntarily surrendered to the Police throughout the country on the operation, “Firearms Amnesty,” bringing the cumulative figures to 545.
Meanwhile, 260 rounds of ammunition have so far been voluntarily surrendered to the Police across the country.
The number however excluded any weapons that may have been surrendered between the period the statement was issued and 30 September, the date set as the official end of the amnesty.
Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police will soon conduct an operation targeting those who did not surrender illegal weapons with criminal charges hanging over the heads of culprits. ZimLive cites him as saying:
The Zimbabwe Republic Police urges those who are yet to surrender the firearms to utilise the opportunity before criminal charges are preferred against anyone who will be found in possession of unlicensed firearms during the pending physical check exercise to be conducted by the police on all residential and business premises where illegal firearms are suspected to be kept or hidden.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Republic Police implores all unlicensed firearm owners to visit local police stations and update their records in compliance with the Firearms Act Chapter 10.09.
He said the government extended the amnesty after finding that a lot of guns were “generally being held illegally by those with expired firearm licenses, members of gun clubs who are no longer active, farmers, hunters and individuals who may be no longer be practising.
Nyathi also said there are some firearms holders who died and their guns are inherited by their relatives.
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Well done on the firearms. But have to wonder. There are 5 gun clubs in Harare, and each shoots over 1000 rounds a weekend. So to have 260 rounds of ammunition handed in is hardly a dent in what is out there.
I would rather see the police enforce the laws on tree cutting. After all, without trees to produce oxygen (amongst other things, like keeping our soil in Zimbabwe, not washed down to Mozambique), we are all going to die anyways.
I can’t rule out political machination in the exercise……