20 Jun 2013

Rifle and shotgun owners have been urged to keep their weapons in secure places where they cannot be easily reached by unauthorised persons. 

Speaking during the arms quota board raffle draw at Botswana Police Service headquarters on June 19, officer in charge of the central arms registry, Senior Superintendent Godfrey Tlogelang said police had realised that many registered small arms in the country were not securely kept hence being easily stolen and used in crime. 

He said despite repeated appeals by the police to the public to keep the weapons safely, they were easily stolen from houses and since the beginning of this year, seven shotguns and two rifles were stolen in various parts of the country.

Out of the number, only three shotguns were recovered, he added. Snr Supt Tlogelang said between 2008 and 2012, at least 69 shotguns and 41 rifles were stolen while 11 registered rifles and 14 registered shotguns were involved in criminal activities from January to May last year.

In addition, he said, from January to May last year, four rifles and 14 shotguns were stolen and out of these numbers, only two were recovered from each type.

At least 50 applicants were drawn out of a total of 8 636 applicants who showed interest in acquiring shotguns. This year, there was no raffle draw for rifles but since the information was not conveyed prior to the submission of applications, at least 16 755 applied for that type. 

Speaking at the draw, deputy commissioner of police, Mr Victor Paledi decried the number of fire arms used in crime incidents, hence the move to issue no rifles in this year’s arms quota draw. He however said the country had adopted a raffle system to control the proliferation of small arms in the country. 

The police deputy commissioner said it was disturbing to learn that 50 per cent of armed robbery cases were committed using doctored shotguns because they were easy to conceal and handle. Mr Paledi, who is also chairman of the arms board, said following these criminal statistics, the arms board took precaution in determining the quota.

He also asked people to register their arms so that they could be easily traced and controlled. The director of Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Dr Oduetse Koboto congratulated those who won the draw and reiterated the need to keep Botswana a gun free society.

He however discouraged rifle and shotgun owners from inserting silencers on them as that could be tempting to use them illegally. ENDS