Mugabe ouster finally haunts Mnangagwa as guns from 2017 coup fill Zimbawe’s streets

Thousands of firearms issued to soldiers during Zimbabwe’s 2017 coup, which removed longtime leader Robert Mugabe from power, are now fueling a spike in violent crime.

Military-grade weapons, handed out to security forces during the operation that brought President Emmerson Mnangagwa to power, remain largely unaccounted for, leading to a rise in armed robberies across the country.

Despite several government amnesties aimed at recovering the weapons, only a small fraction of the firearms have been returned.

Efforts to retrieve the guns have proven insufficient, with security insiders revealing that thousands of assault rifles and other firearms distributed during the coup are still in circulation, now contributing to one of Zimbabwe’s worst crime waves in recent years.

In response, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) launched an amnesty program in 2023, offering citizens the chance to surrender illegal firearms without facing prosecution.

However, the results have been dismal. ZRP spokesperson Paul Nyathi highlighted the limited success of the initiative, stating, “So far, 44 unregistered firearms have been surrendered to the police since we launched the Presidential Firearms and Ammunition Amnesty on the 1st of this month.

The government is now moving to tighten firearm regulations. Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe acknowledged that Zimbabwe’s gun laws have been too lax, enabling a dangerous proliferation of weapons.

He noted, “At the moment, almost anyone can access a firearm license, which may explain why so many guns are circulating.” The proposed amendments include stricter licensing requirements and mandatory training.

As crime continues to rise, many Zimbabweans are questioning whether the 2017 coup has left the nation safer or more at risk from the very weapons used to seize power.

 

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