The Botswana Arms Quota board has recently held a raffle draw where 100 firearms permits were issued to successful applicants.
The entire process of acquiring permits attracted a total of 49 966 applicants, 50 of whom were issued with rifle permits and 50 for shotguns. The firearms raffle draw is held annually and the rationale behind this is to issue permits for acquiring firearms for use in the protection of property.
Speaking at the occasion the chairperson of the Arms Quota Board, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Kenny Kapinga said the Arms Quota raffle draw was implemented as a measure to control the circulation of firearms in the country. Mr Kapinga further said issuing more firearms could lead to the possibility of some falling on wrong hands.
He said the use of firearms in criminal activities is a global concern, saying Botswana is comparatively having a lesser number of such cases due to a transparent process of issuing firearms permits.
Mr Kapinga urged participants to be vigilant in the handling and storage of their firearms saying some registered firearms are sometimes stolen and used in criminal activities. He said during the past year the police have recorded 16 cases of stolen firearms and 21 in which firearms were used in the commission of crime. This he said results from poor handling of the weapons by owners.
He went on to encourage the applicants to read the Arms and Ammunition Act to be able to know and understand procedures of handling of firearms.
Still at the occasion the Officer In Charge of Botswana Police Arms Registry (CARPOL), Senior Superintendent Godfrey Tlogelang expressed concern about firearm owners who fail to renew their arm licenses. He warned that it was an offence to use firearms with expired licences. Tlogelang also requested firearm owners who have old unserviceable firearms to surrender such firearms to the Central Arms Registry
.