BY SETHABILE MYENI
MBABANE – Police have requested firearm owners to keep them safe so it does not put other people’s lives in danger.
The request was made by Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati this morning on EBIS.
This follows the incident that occurred on Saturday at Ekutsimuleni where a five-year-old girl died after being accidentally shot by her eight-year-old cousin using a shotgun which belonged to one of the family members.
Vilakati said they had an incident similar to this one two years ago where children were playing hide and seek behind a bed where the gun was placed and a child died hence they see the need to educate emaSwati on how to keep a gun and control it so it does not compromises the lives of others.
“I would like to applaud some of emaSwati who are taking this matter of guns seriously, two months back we were invited to Mankayane to capacitate business owners on how to handle, keep and use their guns and we will continue to do also in other places,” she said.
She said she would like to remind emaSwati to keep their guns in a place where no one other than the owner can get access to the gun. She also reminded the public that they should have licences that allow them to own guns.
“No one is allowed to borrow someone else a gun that was licenced to him or her, whether to hunt or anything that is believed it will not be harmful, they are not allowed. If it happens that the rightful owner is no more, the family members are advised to take that gun to the police station until they decide who will take over and they are not obligated to continue keeping it,” said Vilakati.
Vilakati also urged anyone with an unlicenced gun to take it to the police station.
(pictures of guns were sourced from REPS and are not the ones referred to in the story)
