Smuggling of ammo into Zimbabwe raises security concerns

Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Ambassador Raphael Faranisi has warned that the continued smuggling of ammunition into Zimbabwe from neighbouring countries poses a growing threat to national security, highlighting the need for stronger regional cooperation to combat transnational organised crime.

Ambassador Faranisi made the remarks while appearing before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and War Veterans Affairs during public hearings on a petition relating to private firearms ownership, licensing, registration and enforcement in Zimbabwe.

Addressing lawmakers, he said authorities face significant challenges when ammunition enters the country illegally, particularly when there is no record of its movement through official channels.

"But if someone, say, was hired from South Africa, and they brought their ammunition from South Africa and managed to get into the country, we would probably not have those records," he told the committee.

He explained that such cases illustrate the growing complexity of transnational organised crime and the limitations faced by individual countries when tracking the movement of illegal firearms and ammunition across borders.

According to Ambassador Faranisi, addressing the problem requires closer collaboration among law enforcement agencies across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), supported by international policing organisations such as the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

"This is where the issue of transnational organised crime comes in, and the need, which is happening now, for greater cooperation among our SADC police forces and also through Interpol, to say: ‘We have this, but we do not seem to have the records. Would you have records?' So it could also be a function," he said.

His comments come amid increasing concern across the region over the movement of illegal firearms, ammunition and other contraband through porous borders and criminal networks operating across multiple jurisdictions.

The parliamentary hearings are examining issues surrounding firearms regulation in Zimbabwe, including private ownership, licensing procedures, registration requirements and enforcement mechanisms. Lawmakers are also seeking to assess whether existing laws and systems are adequate to address emerging security threats linked to both legal and illegal firearms.

Security experts have long argued that effective intelligence sharing, coordinated border management and stronger regional partnerships are critical in disrupting criminal networks involved in the trafficking of weapons and ammunition.

Ambassador Faranisi's remarks underscore the growing recognition that combating firearms-related crime requires a regional approach, as criminal syndicates increasingly exploit cross-border connections to evade detection and enforcement.

As Zimbabwe continues to strengthen its security framework, authorities are expected to place greater emphasis on cooperation with neighbouring countries and international law enforcement agencies to improve the tracking of illegal weapons and ammunition entering the country.