Steven Mace
06-21-2002, 08:29 PM
Friday, June 21, 2002 - Web posted at 9:35:27 am GMT
Call for 'one person, one gun'
MAX HAMATA
THE Minister of Higher Education says the law should be changed so that citizens can own only one gun instead of the four firearms currently allowed.
Nahas Angula told the National Assembly this week that Namibia's legislation "makes a mockery" of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on the control of firearms and ammunition in the region.
The Protocol was recently tabled in the National Assembly by Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo.
Said Angula: "If I am allowed to have four guns and have four brothers who also have four guns, including four cousins with four guns ... we can easily form a battalion."
Angula said the law should be amended to restrict firearm ownership to "one person-one gun".
Director of National Intelligence, Peter Tsheehama, said Government should declare a new amnesty from prosecution to encourage citizens to hand over their illegal weapons.
He expressed concern that weapons used in the war in Angola may fall into criminals' hands now that peace has returned to that country.
"There are strong indications that some groups have interest in the Unita arsenal and there have been Namibian nationals, including some prominent figures, crossing illegally to Angola with the purpose of acquiring arms," Tsheehama said.
There was a need for all Namibian security agencies to remain vigilant and to improve their "operational capacity and strategy in rooting out this menace".
Since Namibia has been used as a transit point for drugs, it is possible it will also be used for illegal arms trafficking, he added.
Deputy Minister Hadino Hishongwa said it was important to compensate people with illegal firearms as an incentive for them to hand over their guns.
He added that the manufacturing of firearms by private companies should also be regulated by the State to prevent the export of guns to neighbouring countries.
"Arms manufacturing private companies should not be allowed to produce arms like like candy or sweets," Hishongwa said.
The SADC Protocol sets out a number of measures to control the possession of guns by civilians and governments.
According to Ekandjo, the Protocol will facilitate collaboration among member states to "vigorously prevent, combat and control the proliferation and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons".
The SADC Protocol on the control of firearms and ammunition was agreed at the SADC Summit in Blantyre in August last year.
http://www.namibian.com.na/2002/june/news/026AF1DDD3.html
Steve Mace
Call for 'one person, one gun'
MAX HAMATA
THE Minister of Higher Education says the law should be changed so that citizens can own only one gun instead of the four firearms currently allowed.
Nahas Angula told the National Assembly this week that Namibia's legislation "makes a mockery" of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on the control of firearms and ammunition in the region.
The Protocol was recently tabled in the National Assembly by Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo.
Said Angula: "If I am allowed to have four guns and have four brothers who also have four guns, including four cousins with four guns ... we can easily form a battalion."
Angula said the law should be amended to restrict firearm ownership to "one person-one gun".
Director of National Intelligence, Peter Tsheehama, said Government should declare a new amnesty from prosecution to encourage citizens to hand over their illegal weapons.
He expressed concern that weapons used in the war in Angola may fall into criminals' hands now that peace has returned to that country.
"There are strong indications that some groups have interest in the Unita arsenal and there have been Namibian nationals, including some prominent figures, crossing illegally to Angola with the purpose of acquiring arms," Tsheehama said.
There was a need for all Namibian security agencies to remain vigilant and to improve their "operational capacity and strategy in rooting out this menace".
Since Namibia has been used as a transit point for drugs, it is possible it will also be used for illegal arms trafficking, he added.
Deputy Minister Hadino Hishongwa said it was important to compensate people with illegal firearms as an incentive for them to hand over their guns.
He added that the manufacturing of firearms by private companies should also be regulated by the State to prevent the export of guns to neighbouring countries.
"Arms manufacturing private companies should not be allowed to produce arms like like candy or sweets," Hishongwa said.
The SADC Protocol sets out a number of measures to control the possession of guns by civilians and governments.
According to Ekandjo, the Protocol will facilitate collaboration among member states to "vigorously prevent, combat and control the proliferation and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons".
The SADC Protocol on the control of firearms and ammunition was agreed at the SADC Summit in Blantyre in August last year.
http://www.namibian.com.na/2002/june/news/026AF1DDD3.html
Steve Mace