BY GARY GERALD MTOMBENI POLICE yesterday warned members of the public and organisations with licences for firearms to desist from publicly displaying them during gatherings or at shopping centres and service stations.
In a statement yesterday, police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “Police urges members of the public and organisations who are licenced to possess firearms in terms of provisions of the Firearms Act, Chapter 10:09 for various reasons which include cash-in-transit, crop protection, and business premises security to religiously comply with the law and stop carrying or displaying such firearms in public gatherings, shopping centres, service stations and other public places.”
— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) July 4, 2022
Nyathi said police will not hesitate to enforce the withdrawal of the firearm licences, besides effecting arrests on anyone who abuses the privilege of legally owning a firearm.
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Later, Nyathi told NewsDay: “We have had cases of people who are abusing their firearms. Some are giving them to their relatives who later use them to commit robberies. Others are not securing their firearms which then land in the wrong hands later used by criminals. We have also had cases where some people even get into shopping centres and start showing around live arms. Others get to a stage of going to public gatherings where they start firing unnecessarily in the air, which is dangerous.”
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, police said they were appealing for any information that may lead to the arrest of Tinashe Nyamande (39) who is being sought for theft of trust property involving $63 631 244,39.
— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) July 5, 2022
“The suspect was arrested and sent to court but later defaulted resulting in the issuance of a warrant of arrest. His last known address is Mashingaidze Village, chief Mutekedza, Chivhu,” read the police statement.