The United States State Department has donated a firearm-marking machine worth over P200 000 to Botswana Police Service.

Speaking to law enforcement officers at a workshop in Gaborone this recently, Mr Kyle Parker of Traceable Solutions, a company that is currently orientating the officers on the use of the machine, said that the equipment will assist the police and other law enforcement agencies in the control of firearms.

Mr Parker said that the advanced computerised equipment marks firearms with unique codes making it easier to identify their rightful owners in case they are stolen or lost and found.  

He said that the Telesis Pin-Stamp Marking machine will also benefit law enforcement officers as it is able to electronically record every person being issued with firearms in armouries. He said this reduces cases where guns disappear in armouries and there is no one to account for their disappearance.

Mr Parker further said in providing the machine the US State Department was assisting Botswana to fulfil the SADC Protocol, which binds member states to mark firearms in a way that will make it easier to know their manufacturer, serial numbers, owners and their country of origin for easy identification.

He stated that similar machines are already in use in Namibia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

The Botswana Police Senior Staff Officer, responsible for Operations, Senior Superintendent Grace Radithalo said that the Botswana Police intends to have more of these machines as they are faster, compared to the old ones currently in use.

The workshop was attended by law enforcement from the Botswana Police, Botswana Defence Force, Prisons, Veterinary and Wildlife Departments.