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Crime Reporter
Members of the public with unregistered firearms and ammunition have again been granted an amnesty to voluntarily surrender them by September 30 without facing criminal charges.
This comes as cases of abuse of firearms, often unregistered, have been on the rise, with unlicenced owners committing heinous crimes such as murder.
To combat the scourge, in September 2022, President Mnangagwa granted the amnesty in line with Article 12 of the SADC Protocol on the control of firearms, ammunition, and related materials.
A total 580 unregistered firearms were handed over during the first amnesty. In a statement, national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi said those holding firearms should surrender them at their nearest stations.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police informs the public that the 2024 Firearms Amnesty on voluntary surrender of firearms and ammunition is currently underway,” he said.
“The amnesty period will run from September 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024. The police have noted that some members of the public are holding on to or are in possession of firearms and ammunition yet some are not licensed or authorised to be in possession of such weapons.
“This has led to the abuse of firearms in the country in clear violation of the provisions of the Firearms Act, Chapter 10:09.”
He said the police have also observed that some licensed firearm holders are no longer renewing their firearm certificates or even notifying the authorities about the change in their residential or business addresses to enable constant checks to be made by the Police on the status of their firearms.
Online Reporter