More than 6,000 guns have been handed over to the government under the gun amnesty exercise in Zambia
About 6,500 guns that were owned illegally have been handed over to the Zambian government after the government started the exercise of amnesty for those who own weapons illegally in the country.
The Minister of Internal Affairs and National Security of Zambia, Jack Mwiimbu has said that the guns have been handed over to the government to be destroyed, as part of Lusaka's efforts to reduce crime and strengthen security in the country.
Minister Mwiimbu said this in Parliament and added that: "We congratulate all the citizens who have responded well to the call for arms amnesty and we ask many of them to come forward to surrender their weapons to the Zambian Police Force so that appropriate measures can be taken."
He said: "The government is concerned about the recent incidents of armed attacks in public places"
He added by saying: The use of weapons and illegal possession of guns will not be allowed for anyone.
The minister added that the number of weapons owned by civilians and legally registered in Zambia is approximately 38,572, but the exact number of weapons in the hands of civilians is unknown for various reasons such as the smuggling of unlicensed firearms, illegal drug trade, acts of crime and armed robbery as well as regional conflicts that cause a wave of refugees entering Zambia armed.
He said: "The (Zambian) government has begun to review the law governing the ownership of firearms in order to control the situation. "The process has begun with an internal review before consultation with other stakeholders."
