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Herald Reporter
A Harare City Council chief security officer took a council gun home, without permission, and it was used by his son to threaten other people in a private matter.
According to a memo written by council’s chief traffic officer Mr Martin Chimombe to council’s head of public safety Mr Miguel Moyo the matter involving the son of Harare City Council Chief Security officer Mr Collen Tongowona was reported at Warren Park police station and then the council was brought in when the gun was discovered to belong to the council.
“The City of Harare has a section that protects council premises and cash-in-transit. All ammunition is certified for that use and purpose, limited to the said function, cash-in-transit and protection of council property. It is herein submitted that Mr C Tongowonza violated the provisions of the law by illegally possessing a firearm Star Pistol Serial No1291668,”
According to the letter dated last Friday, the son, Collen (Junior), was arrested for threatening some unnamed people with a gun.
It was only after the matter was handled by the police that HCC realised that the gun used was taken without the relevant specific firearm certificate being amended to allow this.
“Mr C Tongowona exposed the firearm to vulnerability and insecurity, given the options open and available to the son. Mr C Tongowona should have sought approval of change of use of a firearm from either the cash-in-transit or protection of property to personal security or some such other use. The result therefore would be a specific firearm certificate relevant to the use or purpose.
“It is a cause of concern that the head of security does not take the Firearms Act precepts seriously including compliance with standard operational procedures for storage of such a deadly weapon. Mr C Tongowona’s residence is not a designated council premise to secure the organisation’s ammunition,” read the letter.
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