By Takunda Mandura
TRT Afika, Harare
Zimbabweans will be able to hand in illegal firearms and ammunition to police without facing prosecution after the government announced a new amnesty.
Those in possession of the unregistered weapons can hand them at any police station, the police spokesperson said.
It comes at a time the southern Africa country is witnessing a rise in gun-related crimes that has seen business premises and and individuals robbed of huge sums of money.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police wishes to remind the public that the 2023 Presidential Amnesty on voluntary surrender of firearms and ammunition is currently underway," police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said.
The last amnesty was held last year and saw 580 firearms and 260 rounds of ammunition voluntarily surrendered, according to the police
Zimbabwean law prohibits possession of firearm or ammunition without a firearm certificate.
Data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) indicates there were 9.515 cases of robbery, including 1,120 cases of armed robbery, in 2021. The figures from 2020 were slightly lower, with 9, 364 cases of robbery including 931 cases of armed robbery.
