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Gibson Mhaka
IN response to growing concerns over firearm-related violence, the Cabinet has approved principles to amend the Firearms Act, strengthening regulations governing the registration, licensing, and possession of firearms.
The presentation was received from the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe.
In his post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the amendments seek to regulate the registration and licensing of firearms, and the establishment of a firearms database and registry.
“Cabinet received a presentation from the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe, on Principles to amend and strengthen the Firearms Act (Chapter 10:09) which was approved.
“The amendments seek to regulate the registration and licensing of firearms, and the establishment of a firearms database and registry. The Amendment Bill will make provision for the classification of firearms certificates to differentiate those issued to individuals and juristic persons,” said Minister Muswere.
He said the proposed amendments will introduce stricter regulations for firearm ownership, including psychological and training requirements, age restrictions, and limits on firearm ownership per person, firearm profiling, and increased penalties for firearm offenses.
“The amendments will also seek, among other things to (a) introduce psychological and training tests before one is issued with a firearm certificate; (b) place an age restriction on the possession of firearms; (c) regulate the number of firearms individual per person; (d) provide for the profiling of all firearms for purposes of easy identification and tracing thereof; and (e) specify the penalties for firearm offences, including the failure to properly secure firearms,” said Dr Muswere.
Minister Muswere also said the Cabinet considered and approved the National Energy Efficiency Policy which was presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube, as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on National Development Planning.
“The overall goal of the National Energy Efficiency Policy is to institute energy efficiency programmes in order to promote sustainable development as the country transitions to an Upper Middle-Income Society in line with the objectives of Vision 2030.
“The Policy is built on the principles of development, sustainability, affordability, accessibility, and gender equity and employment creation.
“The objectives that will be employed to stimulate energy efficiency are as follows: to promote and ensure a comprehensive, integrated and well informed energy efficiency strategy for effective socio-economic development; to establish the roles and responsibilities for implementing various energy efficiency initiatives and interventions in the country; and to provide a framework for setting targets relating to various energy efficiency interventions in the residential, commercial, mining, transport, agriculture and industrial sectors,” said Dr Muswere.
He said Cabinet has also advised that the Government shall develop an Energy Efficiency Act and appropriate regulations, as well as a National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan which will assist in the achievement of low-carbon development modalities and climate-resilient energy efficient systems.
“Furthermore, mandatory energy efficiency audits conducted by approved and certified energy auditors shall be prescribed.
Minimum energy performance standards and regulations will also be established and developed for selected energy end-users.
“The Government shall mandate intensive energy users, and encourage other industrial users to be certified by a recognized energy management standard such as the Energy Management Systems (ZWS ISO50001), amongst others,” said Minister Muswere.
Online Reporter