Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
Windhoek
About 1 276 firearms have been surrendered by members of the public since the start of the amnesty for giving up illegal weapons started late last year, Minister of Safety and Security, Major General (Rtd) Charles Namoloh, announced.
Namoloh made the announcement in parliament on Tuesday.
Namoloh also said a total of 9 950 rounds of ammunition and 81 explosives were surrendered by the public to the police.
Namoloh said the government has since extended the amnesty for another three months till February 18 next year to allow those who are still in possession of illegal firearms, ammunition, explosives and other related material to surrender them without fear of being prosecuted.
“Those who do not make use of the amnesty and will be found with illegal weapons shall be dealt with in terms of the laws governing the possession of weapons,” he warned.
He said the ministry is in the process of establishing if any of the firearms handed over have been used in the commission of crime, through ballistics tests.
Namoloh said it is the wish of the ministry to conduct the public destruction of items collected from the campaign, but due to financial constraints the ministry will have to use a cost-effective method of destruction.
According to Namoloh, 62 firearms were surrendered in the Erongo, 18 in Hardap, 68 in //Kharas, 10 in Kavango West, 806 in Khomas, five in Kunene, 25 in Ohangwena, 21 in Omaheke, 73 in Omusati, 49 in Oshana, 62 in Oshikoto, 72 in Otjozondjupa and five in Zambezi.