Gun ownership up, gun crime down

Private gun ownership in Namibia has more than doubled over the past 13 years, with handguns dominating new licence applications and self-defence cited as the number one reason to own a firearm. A briefing paper on gun ownership and gun crime shows that the number of registered firearms has increased from around 97 000 to more than 200 000 since 2004; up from five guns per 100 000 citizens to nine guns per 100 citizens now. On average, 6 653 gun licences are issued annually. The report notes that information on the gun stockpiles held by state institutions such as the military and the police is classified. The increase in firearm licences issued has not been associated with an increase in gun-related crimes, Dietrich Remmert, a researcher at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found. The study concludes that the prime motivation for firearm licence applications is self-defence, linked to rising fear of crime and the inability of the police to prevent it. The IPPR report surmises that if the police were given more and better resources, and improve the quality of policing across the country, citizens might feel safer and the demand for firearm ownership could possibly slow down. On the other hand, the police say although self-defence is a valid reason for firearm ownership, the perceived trend of handgun-carrying taxi drivers and drivers in general has led to a number of shooting incidents that had “little do with self-defence but rather emotionally charged confrontations between people.” Moreover, fatal shootings at shebeens and on public roads have increasingly been reported, with most involving handguns and appearing to be the result of road-rage or quarrels. As a result, the police have become stricter when it comes to issuing firearm licences. The study indicates that murders by firearm rose from 3.4% of all murders between 1995 and 2001, to 14.05% between 2009 and this year. “While the overall amount of firearm licences has increased markedly over nine financial years, instances of firearm-related cases overall make up only a small ratio of the crimes analysed,” Remmert wrote. The study concludes that the statistics show that gun-related crimes do not yet pose a serious security risk to Namibia, but warns against complacency. Police worried The police shared their concern about negligent behaviour by firearm owners, since most gun-related crimes are committed with stolen firearms. Security companies are some of the worst culprits. “Based on their often negative experiences with security companies in terms of gun control, it was felt by the police that security companies posed a significant risk. Their demonstrated poor handling and control of firearms increased the dangers of loss and theft of the businesses' guns.” An inspection of 84 security companies in 12 regions in 2012 found that many security companies had lost firearms but did not report the losses as required by law. “Of the 2 258 registered guns held by the inspected companies, 536 could not be accounted for, or just over 23% of the total stock,” the report reveals. More than 3 200 murders were reported in the nine years under review, with an average of 364 murders per year. The number of shooting deaths remained fairly constant, ranging between 35 and 69 per year, in comparison to murders committed with another weapon, which have steadily increased in recent years. There was a decrease in attempted murders by firearm, and a steady decrease in robbery cases involving guns. Nevertheless, the IPPR recommends restrictions on the quantity of ammunition held by civilian gun owners. It also suggests that gun competency tests for licence applicants should be made mandatory. Security companies that show poor control of their weapons should have their licences taken away or suspended until they can prove they have better controls in place. JANA-MARI SMITH

Gun ownership up, gun crime down

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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Gun ownership up, gun crime down

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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