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ZRP plans regional firearm tracking system
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The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is engaging regional law enforcement agencies to establish an integrated biometric firearm-tracking system aimed at improving the monitoring of legally owned weapons and strengthening cross-border crime detection.
Police Deputy Commissioner-General Learn Ncube revealed the initiative while giving oral evidence before the Joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security Services and War Veterans Affairs at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden.
The committee was hearing submissions on a petition relating to private firearm ownership, licensing, registration and enforcement in Zimbabwe.
Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube said the proposed system would create a comprehensive database of firearms through ballistic fingerprinting, allowing authorities to trace weapons and share information with neighbouring countries when violations occur.
"We are currently coming up with a system where all weapons are fingerprinted, but the approach is that if the licence is about to expire and the order is to bring in the weapon for renewal of the licence, the person is asked to bring in three live rounds," he said.
"Those are fired and are fingerprinted, and we keep the information, and that process is built up to the national database."
The ballistic fingerprinting process involves recording the unique markings left on fired ammunition, creating a permanent identification profile for each firearm.
Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube said Zimbabwe was pursuing regional cooperation to ensure the system can exchange information across borders.
"We are talking with the region to say, we want a system which would be able to communicate with the neighbours," he said.
Authorities believe the proposed platform would enhance investigations involving firearms used in criminal activities and help track weapons that move across national boundaries.
The senior police officer appealed to Parliament to support efforts to acquire the technology required to implement the project.
"So, we ask for assistance really from this August House, from the committee, to assist us in pushing so that we are enabled to procure this system and we know if we manage to do that, everything else will be easier," he said.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Permanent Secretary Ambassador Raphael Tayerera Faranisi told the committee that Zimbabwe has been implementing the Africa Amnesty Act since 2022 in accordance with Article 12 of the Standard Protocol on Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Related Materials.
The protocol seeks to strengthen the regulation, control and tracing of firearms across African countries as part of broader efforts to combat armed crime, illicit trafficking and the proliferation of illegal weapons.
The proposed biometric firearm-tracking system is expected to complement existing firearm licensing and registration processes while enhancing regional cooperation in law enforcement and security management.
Police Deputy Commissioner-General Learn Ncube revealed the initiative while giving oral evidence before the Joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security Services and War Veterans Affairs at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden.
The committee was hearing submissions on a petition relating to private firearm ownership, licensing, registration and enforcement in Zimbabwe.
Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube said the proposed system would create a comprehensive database of firearms through ballistic fingerprinting, allowing authorities to trace weapons and share information with neighbouring countries when violations occur.
"We are currently coming up with a system where all weapons are fingerprinted, but the approach is that if the licence is about to expire and the order is to bring in the weapon for renewal of the licence, the person is asked to bring in three live rounds," he said.
"Those are fired and are fingerprinted, and we keep the information, and that process is built up to the national database."
The ballistic fingerprinting process involves recording the unique markings left on fired ammunition, creating a permanent identification profile for each firearm.
Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube said Zimbabwe was pursuing regional cooperation to ensure the system can exchange information across borders.
"We are talking with the region to say, we want a system which would be able to communicate with the neighbours," he said.
Authorities believe the proposed platform would enhance investigations involving firearms used in criminal activities and help track weapons that move across national boundaries.
The senior police officer appealed to Parliament to support efforts to acquire the technology required to implement the project.
"So, we ask for assistance really from this August House, from the committee, to assist us in pushing so that we are enabled to procure this system and we know if we manage to do that, everything else will be easier," he said.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Permanent Secretary Ambassador Raphael Tayerera Faranisi told the committee that Zimbabwe has been implementing the Africa Amnesty Act since 2022 in accordance with Article 12 of the Standard Protocol on Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Related Materials.
The protocol seeks to strengthen the regulation, control and tracing of firearms across African countries as part of broader efforts to combat armed crime, illicit trafficking and the proliferation of illegal weapons.
The proposed biometric firearm-tracking system is expected to complement existing firearm licensing and registration processes while enhancing regional cooperation in law enforcement and security management.
Source - The Herald
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