Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu – [email protected]
POLICE in Matabeleland South have rolled out awareness campaigns to educate members of the public on the ongoing firearm amnesty which is encouraging the surrender of unregistered firearms.
Members of the public with unregistered firearms and ammunition were recently 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 the owners committing heinous crimes such as murder.
To combat the scourge, President Mnangagwa granted an amnesty in line with Article 12 of the SADC Protocol on the control of firearms, ammunition and related materials.
A total of 580 unregistered firearms were handed over during the first amnesty.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Loveness Mangena urged members of the public to cooperate with the police as they seek to fight crime.
“We have rolled out awareness campaigns across the province where we are urging people to surrender illegal firearms. We are also utilising various gatherings and events that are being held as a platform to educate the people on the firearm amnesty. Last time people were not forthcoming to surrender firearms but we want to assure them and encourage them to utilise this grace period that they have been given to be on the right side of the law,” she said.
The firearms should be surrendered to any nearest police with the volunteer being give an official safe custody receipt to confirm that the weapon has indeed been taken over by the police officer at the local police station.
The police have said checks and records have revealed that some companies have closed yet their representatives are still holding onto firearms, some members of licensed gun clubs are no longer active while some farmers, hunters and individuals are no longer in the same position that they were, when they applied for firearm licences.
Relatives of late firearm licence holders are still holding on to firearms, some of which are used to commit various crimes, including armed robbery.
Some licensed firearm holders are no longer renewing their firearm certificates or even notifying the authorities about the change in residential or business addresses to enable constant checks to be made by the police on the status of the firearms.
@DubeMatutu
Online Reporter