Central Province Police Commissioner Urges Continued Firearms Amnesty Awareness

Central Province Police Commissioner Lemekani Chirwa has called for continued public education on firearms, warning that efforts to promote community safety must go beyond the current amnesty period.

Mr Chirwa said sustained engagement was needed to discourage gun culture and reduce firearm-related crimes and accidental shootings.

He was speaking in Kabwe on October 19, 2026, when a delegation from the Firearm Amnesty Committee, led by Senior Superintendent Parent Hanyama, National Coordinator of the Community Safety Unit, paid a courtesy call on him.

“A gun is a lethal machine which, if not handled properly, can cause death. Gun culture has no place in our communities. Let us work together to sustain community engagement for safer communities,” Mr Chirwa said.

The committee has been conducting public awareness activities through radio programmes and face-to-face engagements, urging people to surrender undocumented or unwanted firearms to the police.

The amnesty, which runs from October 1 to 21, 2026, is being held under the theme “Silencing Guns by 2030”.

According to the Zambia Police Service, several members of the public have already surrendered unwanted firearms since the exercise began.

With the amnesty period nearing its end, police have urged those still holding undocumented or unwanted firearms to surrender them before October 21, as part of broader efforts to prevent gun-related crime and improve public safety.