More than 800 illegal guns surrendered to police

JANA-MARI SMITH

More than 800 firearms and close to 11 900 rounds of ammunition have been surrendered to the police since a three-month amnesty was declared in early September.

Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Kauna Shikwambi said 812 firearms, 11 851 rounds of ammunition and 19 explosive devices were surrendered all over Namibia.

The largest number of firearms – 663 – was surrendered in the Khomas Region.

Thirty-one firearms were surrendered in the Omusati Region, 29 in the /Karas Region, 27 in the Otjozondjupa Region and 25 in the Oshikoto Region.

No firearms were surrendered in the Kavango East and Zambezi regions.

In the Otjozondjupa Region, 4 386 rounds of ammunition were surrendered, followed by 2 790 in the Oshikoto Region and 2 022 in the Ohangwena Region.

In the Khomas Region, 733 rounds of ammunition were handed over to the police, followed by 589 in Omusati, 577 in Omaheke and 326 in Oshana.

In the Hardap and the Kavango East regions no ammunition was surrendered.

Ten of the explosive devices were surrendered in the Otjozondjupa Region and the remaining nine were from the Khomas Region.

Shikwambi again urged Namibians who are still in possession of illegal firearms and ammunition to surrender them to the nearest police station.

She said the Inspector-General of the Namibian Police, Sebastian Ndeitunga, commended everyone who heeded the call to surrender illegal firearms to the police.

The amnesty ends on 18 November.