The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is engaging regional law enforcement agencies to establish an integrated biometric system that will allow authorities to tra...
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is engaging regional law enforcement agencies to establish an integrated biometric system that will allow authorities to trace firearm owners across borders and improve information sharing among neighbouring countries.
Police Deputy Commissioner-General Learn Ncube revealed the development while presenting 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.
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The committee was considering a petition on private firearm ownership, licensing, registration and enforcement in Zimbabwe. During the proceedings, Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube said authorities were developing a system under which all firearms would be fingerprinted and recorded in a national database.
He explained that firearm owners renewing their licences would be required to bring their weapons together with three live rounds. The rounds would then be fired and the resulting markings recorded as part of the identification process.
“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,” said Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube.
“Those are fired and are fingerprinted, and we keep the information, and that process is built up to the national database,” he added.
According to Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube, Zimbabwe is also discussing the initiative with neighbouring countries to establish a regional network capable of exchanging information quickly whenever violations involving firearms are detected.
“We are talking with the region to say, we want a system which would be able to communicate with the neighbours,” he said.
The senior police officer appealed to members of Parliament for support in securing the resources needed to acquire the technology required for the system. He said the successful procurement of the equipment would simplify the management and tracing of firearms.
“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,” said Deputy Commissioner-General Ncube.
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. He said the country has been following the provisions of Article 12 of the Standard Protocol on Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Related Materials.
The proposed biometric firearm system is expected to strengthen firearm registration, improve tracing capabilities and enhance cooperation between Zimbabwe and other countries in the region in dealing with firearm-related violations.
