2004 Volume 1

Public Ignore Firearms Audit

Augustine Mukaro
Zim Independent

POLICE efforts to carry out a firearms audit have hit a snag after the public ignored calls to submit their weapons for verification, the Zimbabwe Independent heard last week.

The police force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) launched a nationwide firearms audit on November 21, inviting people to bring in their weapons for verification. The audit is expected to run until the end of the month.

In a statement issued last month, police called on the public to take their firearms to the police for verification.

"Members of the public are required to take their firearms and firearm certificates to their nearest police station for verification," police said in the statement.

Highly placed sources in the CID said the call was widely ignored by members of the public.

"The response has been dismal considering the number of firearms suspected to be in the public's hands," a source said.

"Police could be forced to seek an alternative method to do the audit if the response doesn't improve."

Police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena last week said the audit was still going on and people with firearms were being encouraged to take them in for verification.

"I haven't checked with the department that is dealing with the audit but we urge people with firearms to bring them in for verification," Bvudzijena said.

He said the police would proceed to check on all people registered as having weapons to ensure that they are audited.

Bvudzijena said most of the guns used in armed robberies were stolen weapons. It is widely believed however that government handed out assault rifles to war veterans and party supporters at the height of farm invasions in 2000 and 2001 and that most of these have not been returned or accounted for.