The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
14 July 2008
editorial
Police in Arusha Region say they have recovered over 20 illegally owned firearms in the past fortnight, and this is good news indeed for a region that is grappling with high crime rates. It is worth noting that most of the guns were handed in by village leaders after they were surrendered by people who had been possessing them illegally.
The recovery of the firearms should go a long way in reducing armed robberies and other forms of gun crime in Arusha, which happens to be the hub of Tanzania's tourism industry and an important commercial centre.
We would like to see other regions follow suit even if it means issuing an amnesty to people who will surrender illegally owned guns within a specific period. This method was used to great effect by the then Mbeya regional police chief, Mr Suleiman Kova, two years ago.
Even police were surprised at the number of guns recovered within a two-month period, with most of the firearms being anonymously dumped at the doorsteps of the offices or homes of village leaders at night. The overall effect was a significant fall in the prevalence of gun-related crime, which was threatening to spiral out of control in the region.
Now that Mr Kova is in charge of the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone, we hope that he will take similar measures given that gun crime is on the rise in the country's commercial capital after a period of relative calm.
Another region where police need a new approach to take guns off the hands of people owning them illegally is Mara, which has seen an upsurge of armed robberies, particularly rustling, in recent months. Perhaps an amnesty to people who will voluntarily hand in illegally owned guns over, say, a one-month period, will help to restore security in areas such as Tarime and Rorya districts.
It must be remembered that every gun taken off the streets translates into increased security, and could mean several lives saved.
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