Namibians arm for self-defence

OVER 68 per cent of Namibians who own firearms legally bought them for self-defence, according to a new research paper.

The Institute for Public Policy Research’s Martin Boer presented his report, ‘In Self Defence: Firearms Usage in Namibia’, in Windhoek last week. According to his research, estimates indicate that there are between 98 000 and 123 000 legal firearms in the country – not counting the military, Police and other Government agencies, and not including untold numbers of guns circulating illegally.In 2003, the largest number of guns bought legally was in the Khomas Region, representing 43,3 per cent of the total.”More than 98 per cent of the overall sample population indicated that they required a firearm for reasons of ‘self-defence’ (70,8 per cent urban and 63 per cent rural).”Many firearms acquired in the categories of ‘heirloom’, ‘replacement of a disserviced arm’, ‘securing business’, ‘security firm’, and ‘other’ may in reality have been acquired for self-defence purposes.Second, 57,9 per cent of the registered firearms are pistols or revolvers rather than the shotguns and rifles more commonly used for hunting, farming or protection of livestock,” the report says.While this trend may seem a reaction to perceptions of increased criminal activity since Independence, Boer says that data sourced from the Namibian Police for the years 1995 to 2000 “shows that the murder rate has fluctuated between 327 to 407 murders per year, with firearms used in a relatively small percentage of the crimes”.Guns where used to kill people in Namibia in only 3,2 per cent of all murders committed in 1995; this figure dropped to 1,7 per cent in 2002 following a sharp increase to 6,6 and 7,1 per cent respectively in 1999 and 2000.The report cites the Police as saying that the vast majority of crimes that do feature firearms are committed with illegal weapons.Namibia has had firearm legislation in place since 1938 and the current Arms and Ammunitions Act of 1996 “lays out the rules for licensing firearms to individuals, dealers, exporters and manufacturers and makes provisions for explosives, ammunitions and the destruction of arms”.Boer said that these laws were apparently well enforced in Namibia.However the question of illegal firearms was trickier.Police estimate that 184 firearms where stolen in 2001, 163 in 2002 and 193 in 2003 – an average of 15 firearms a month, the report says.Of these, the Police recovered about 30 per cent.Further, the Police estimate that 25 per cent of all firearms in the possession of civilians in Namibia are unlicensed and that approximately one-fifth of the illegal firearms in civilian possession are registered firearms that were lost or stolen.”They believe that the remaining four-fifths of these illegal firearms originate from neighbouring countries, particularly Angola,” according to the report.The problem is that illegal firearms are too easily accessible.”According to the Police, pistols and revolvers can be bought in Namibia’s northern border regions for as little as N$250, compared to around N$1 500 to N$1 900 legally.”According to his research, estimates indicate that there are between 98 000 and 123 000 legal firearms in the country – not counting the military, Police and other Government agencies, and not including untold numbers of guns circulating illegally.In 2003, the largest number of guns bought legally was in the Khomas Region, representing 43,3 per cent of the total.”More than 98 per cent of the overall sample population indicated that they required a firearm for reasons of ‘self-defence’ (70,8 per cent urban and 63 per cent rural).”Many firearms acquired in the categories of ‘heirloom’, ‘replacement of a disserviced arm’, ‘securing business’, ‘security firm’, and ‘other’ may in reality have been acquired for self-defence purposes.Second, 57,9 per cent of the registered firearms are pistols or revolvers rather than the shotguns and rifles more commonly used for hunting, farming or protection of livestock,” the report says.While this trend may seem a reaction to perceptions of increased criminal activity since Independence, Boer says that data sourced from the Namibian Police for the years 1995 to 2000 “shows that the murder rate has fluctuated between 327 to 407 murders per year, with firearms used in a relatively small percentage of the crimes”.Guns where used to kill people in Namibia in only 3,2 per cent of all murders committed in 1995; this figure dropped to 1,7 per cent in 2002 following a sharp increase to 6,6 and 7,1 per cent respectively in 1999 and 2000.The report cites the Police as saying that the vast majority of crimes that do feature firearms are committed with illegal weapons.Namibia has had firearm legislation in place since 1938 and the current Arms and Ammunitions Act of 1996 “lays out the rules for licensing firearms to individuals, dealers, exporters and manufacturers and makes provisions for explosives, ammunitions and the destruction of arms”.Boer said that these laws were apparently well enforced in Namibia.However the question of illegal firearms was trickier.Police estimate that 184 firearms where stolen in 2001, 163 in 2002 and 193 in 2003 – an average of 15 firearms a month, the report says.Of these, the Police recovered about 30 per cent.Further, the Police estimate that 25 per cent of all firearms in the possession of civilians in Namibia are unlicensed and that approximately one-fifth of the illegal firearms in civilian possession are registered firearms that were lost or stolen.”They believe that the remaining four-fifths of these illegal firearms originate from neighbouring countries, particularly Angola,” according to the report.The problem is that illegal firearms are too easily accessible.”According to the Police, pistols and revolvers can be bought in Namibia’s northern border regions for as little as N$250, compared to around N$1 500 to N$1 900 legally.”