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Malawi tackles gun violence

  1. Posted on Wednesday 24 June 2009 - 12:48
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    Malawi has intensified efforts aimed at reduced the number of gun violence cases, reducing cases the number of fire arms used in armed crime by over 700 per cent.
    This was revealed during 'Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence' commemoration held in Blantyre today.
    The event was organized by People's Federation for National Peace and Development (Pefenap), along with the Human Rights Consultative Committee, Centre for Conflict Resolution Malawian civil society organizations, and the Southern Region Chapter of Public Affairs Committee.
    Pefenap Executive Director, Edward Chaka, said it was commendable to note that the number of gun violence cases inn Malawi was decreasing, with Malawi Police Service statistics indicating that, while 80 fire arms were recovered from armed robbers in 2008, only 7 had been confiscated during the first half of 2008.
    During the same period last year, law enforcement officers confiscated 25 small arms while this year, only 3 have been confiscated from scenes of armed crime.
    "This is impressive and tallies very well with the fact that Malawi has been named the second most peaceful country in Africa, after Botswana. We feel that continued advocacy is playing a role in this," said Chaka.
    Police officers present during the occasion show-cased confiscated arms to members of the general public, and confirmed reports of spiraling gun violence cases in the country.
    Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, has vowed to stump down on crime during his second year of office, and this could marry very well with the reduced cases of crime.
    Civil society organizations blame the escalation of gun violence before 2004 to the country's open borders, though government says it has been working on the problem, hence the decreased cases of gun violence.
    The country is part of the Southern African belt of countries preparing to reap from the 2010 World Cup to be hosted by South Africa. Peace is expected to play a big role in influencing tourists flock down to the continent.

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