Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibian Police Force has confiscated a total of 570 unlicenced firearms and 24,334 ammunitions from 31 August 2021 to 30 September 2021, during an amnesty month which pardoned all persons from conviction when handing in illegal or unlicensed firearms.
The Omusati Region yielded the highest results, with a total of 135 illegal firearms handed in, followed by Khomas with 111 firearms, and Oshana with 88 firearms handed in.
The Inspector General of the Namibian police, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga said that on 6 December 2020 an Extraordinary session of the African Union Assembly of the Heads of State and Government was held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ndeitunga stated that the session recommitted the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of practical steps for Silencing the Guns in Africa by the year 2020, through the extension of the African Amnesty month for another period of ten years with review after every two years.
“The Government of the Republic of Namibia underscores its commitment to fully implement the vision and aspirations of the AU Agenda 2063. In this regard, it undertook a process led by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security to ensure its full implementation. It was for this reason cabinet endorsed the month of September as the Amnesty month to surrender weapons, ammunitions, and armaments without any fear of prosecution,” Ndeitunga said.
The Inspector General, however, noted that persons with firearms linked to any crime will be arrested, if investigations are ongoing. He explained that the arrest will be carried out to fully investigate the nature of how the gun was acquired, in order to arrest the right perpetrators who might have used the firearm to commit a crime.
Ndeitunga, however, indicated that those that handed in their firearms during the period of Amnesty will not be charged for possessing illegal firearms.
