Times Of Swaziland: LOADED  STATE-OWNED GUN FOUND NEAR LIMKO

LOADED  STATE-OWNED GUN FOUND NEAR LIMKO
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Siboniso Nkambule on 31/10/2024 07:18:00


MBABANE – A State-owned 9mm SIG Sauer, loaded with seven bullets and still in
its holster, was found lying near Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
Sources indicated that the firearm was discovered by a local driver, commonly
known as ‘malume’, who noticed the gun abandoned close to the campus. It was
reported that the driver surrendered the gun to the police. The Chief Police
Information and Communications Officer, Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati,
confirmed that the driver surrendered the gun to the police after he found it.
Vilakati thanked the driver for his efforts in ensuring that the gun was
surrendered to the police.
This comes after the National Commissioner of Police, Vusi Manoma Masango,
announced that at least two guns with 25 bullets were surrendered during the
Eswatini Amnesty Month termed ‘Shwele’. Eswatini commemorated the amnesty
month in September. Eswatini had joined hands with the African Union (AU) in
working towards making Africa a peaceful continent by 2030. This is inspired by
the Silencing of Guns Agenda 2030, a flagship initiative of the AU Agenda 2063,
that aspires to end all wars, conflicts and gender-based violence (GBV) and to
prevent genocides.
Silencing
As a long-standing partner to the AU, United Nations Development Programmes
(UNDP) has recommitted its partnerships, programmes and opportunities to
furthering the Silencing of Guns Agenda 2030, by creating the necessary
conditions for Africa’s transformative development. The police launched the
Amnesty month in order to allow all people to surrender illegal firearms to the
police. During this period, emaSwati were urged to surrender illegal guns to the
nearest police stations or regional commanders. Recently, Masango thanked the
nation for cooperation during the amnesty month. He said emaSwati responded to
their call as in their records, two guns were surrendered with 25 bullets.  “I
also want to thank those who informed us where to look and we did look and got
positive results. We got some guns and the people will face the law,” he said.
Raid
Speaking during the end of the amnesty month recently, Masango said now that the
amnesty month had ended without people handing over illegally possessed
firearms, the police will be ruthless and raid homesteads with intent to recover
the illegal guns, which are used in the commission of serious crimes, such as
murders and robberies. “We will embark on a search wherein we will confiscate
all illegally possessed firearms. All those who will be found in illegal
possession of firearms will face the law. It was not a joke that September was
Amnesty month,” he said.
Masango said as a country, there must be a report to the United Nations (UN) and
AU on what has been done during the amnesty month. He said the report must show
if the country has done something, however, he said it is clear that most people
who possess illegal firearms are reluctant to surrender them to the police. He
said the police will embark on raids and search for illegally possessed firearms
across the country.