Opinion / Blogs
Zimbabwe could benefit from stricter firearm regulation
10 Jan 2014 at 08:18hrs | Views
Tawanda Musarurwa
You definitely know something is wrong when a woman is robbed of a mango she is eating at gunpoint.
This is the ridiculous incident that occurred recently along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.
It could be normal though, but only in a society where everyone owns a gun. But Zimbabwe has one of the most functional firearms regulation polices in the world.
The regulation of guns in the country is typically categorised as "restrictive". It is a policy which many countries with lax attitudes towards gun control can draw positive lessons from â€" 89 countries to be specific. According to a 2007 small arms survey in a comparison of the number of privately owned guns in 178 countries, Zimbabwe ranked at number 89. But the stubborn fact remains that ordinary members of its citizenry can legally possess a gun. Now, a gun is a terrible thing. It gives the owner or handler a sense of boldness â€" a boldness that one would not normally have if they were handed a walking stick, for example.
It is an interesting innovation, one that seems to give stimulus to human beings' instinctual aggressive energy.
So who needs it? Apparently all armed forces everywhere. But that's about it. Apparently not.
The same 2007 survey estimated that the total number of guns held by civilians in Zimbabwe was around 400 000.
That was over six years ago, there should be more now. Considering the aforementioned psychological effect of the weapon, the consequences can be dire.
The legality of a firearm does not guarantee that it will be used in the proper way.
That, in any case, is making a very assumptive statement that there is "proper" way of killing another human being. I will not delve into philosophy right now. But there are exceptional cases.
A recent story was in the H-Metro where a man surrendered his gun to the police after hearing news of his wife's infidelity â€" how many people can rationalise to this extent in such situations? I reckon very few. This simple notion â€" that human beings tend to lose control â€" shows the brilliance of disarmament following the attainment of independence.
It was due to this move, and also to the country's policy on regulating the citizenry's access to firearms â€" that has seen Zimbabwe registering traditionally low to moderate crime rates over the past three decades. But at position 89 out of 178 countries, there are 88 other countries doing better than Zimbabwe in terms of firearms regulation.
In recent times there appears to be a rise in armed robberies and other gun-related crimes across the country.
Some of the more infamous robberies that occurred last year in May include the one in which armed robbers waylaid Waverley Blanket officials along Graniteside Road and got away with US$412 000. In July two armed robbers pounced on Agribank's Chivi branch and forced the bank manager to open a cash vault. They got away with US$80 000 and R30 000.
Early last month four armed robbers got away with US$47 000 after they raided Harare businessman Mr Elijah Mabamba's house. A very recent case in point is the incident in which foreign currency dealers were gunned down at Ngundu Business Centre. But the top-of-the-pick was, of course, the armed robber who pounced on a woman and got away with a half-eaten mango. This may just be a perception, but these "gun-style robberies" were once the preserve of big cities and big loots. Apparently, they have now spread, which could be symptomatic of a greater concern. The public now has more access to firearms than at any other point in the post-independence history of this country. Zimbabwe's firearms law allows one to possess a gun, but only to the extent that it is fully registered.
Reads the Firearms Act, Chapter 10:09, Section 4:
Penalty for purchasing firearms or ammunition without firearm certificate
(1) Subject to this Act, no person shall purchase, acquire or have in his possession any firearm or ammunition unless he holds a firearm certificate in respect thereof in force at the time.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 10 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment."
The major question that comes to the fore when discussing the proliferation of firearms in any society is: do countries with stricter gun laws really have less crime?
The answer is anything but simple. But there is little doubt that society is a better place with a little less firearms in private hands, licit of illicit.
You definitely know something is wrong when a woman is robbed of a mango she is eating at gunpoint.
This is the ridiculous incident that occurred recently along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.
It could be normal though, but only in a society where everyone owns a gun. But Zimbabwe has one of the most functional firearms regulation polices in the world.
The regulation of guns in the country is typically categorised as "restrictive". It is a policy which many countries with lax attitudes towards gun control can draw positive lessons from â€" 89 countries to be specific. According to a 2007 small arms survey in a comparison of the number of privately owned guns in 178 countries, Zimbabwe ranked at number 89. But the stubborn fact remains that ordinary members of its citizenry can legally possess a gun. Now, a gun is a terrible thing. It gives the owner or handler a sense of boldness â€" a boldness that one would not normally have if they were handed a walking stick, for example.
It is an interesting innovation, one that seems to give stimulus to human beings' instinctual aggressive energy.
So who needs it? Apparently all armed forces everywhere. But that's about it. Apparently not.
The same 2007 survey estimated that the total number of guns held by civilians in Zimbabwe was around 400 000.
That was over six years ago, there should be more now. Considering the aforementioned psychological effect of the weapon, the consequences can be dire.
The legality of a firearm does not guarantee that it will be used in the proper way.
That, in any case, is making a very assumptive statement that there is "proper" way of killing another human being. I will not delve into philosophy right now. But there are exceptional cases.
A recent story was in the H-Metro where a man surrendered his gun to the police after hearing news of his wife's infidelity â€" how many people can rationalise to this extent in such situations? I reckon very few. This simple notion â€" that human beings tend to lose control â€" shows the brilliance of disarmament following the attainment of independence.
In recent times there appears to be a rise in armed robberies and other gun-related crimes across the country.
Some of the more infamous robberies that occurred last year in May include the one in which armed robbers waylaid Waverley Blanket officials along Graniteside Road and got away with US$412 000. In July two armed robbers pounced on Agribank's Chivi branch and forced the bank manager to open a cash vault. They got away with US$80 000 and R30 000.
Early last month four armed robbers got away with US$47 000 after they raided Harare businessman Mr Elijah Mabamba's house. A very recent case in point is the incident in which foreign currency dealers were gunned down at Ngundu Business Centre. But the top-of-the-pick was, of course, the armed robber who pounced on a woman and got away with a half-eaten mango. This may just be a perception, but these "gun-style robberies" were once the preserve of big cities and big loots. Apparently, they have now spread, which could be symptomatic of a greater concern. The public now has more access to firearms than at any other point in the post-independence history of this country. Zimbabwe's firearms law allows one to possess a gun, but only to the extent that it is fully registered.
Reads the Firearms Act, Chapter 10:09, Section 4:
Penalty for purchasing firearms or ammunition without firearm certificate
(1) Subject to this Act, no person shall purchase, acquire or have in his possession any firearm or ammunition unless he holds a firearm certificate in respect thereof in force at the time.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 10 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment."
The major question that comes to the fore when discussing the proliferation of firearms in any society is: do countries with stricter gun laws really have less crime?
The answer is anything but simple. But there is little doubt that society is a better place with a little less firearms in private hands, licit of illicit.
Source - Tawanda Musarurwa | Herald
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