By 
By Ross Moyo
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is working with regional law enforcement to build an integrated biometric system that will track firearms even when they cross borders.
Deputy Commissioner-General Learn Ncube
told Parliament the force is developing a “fingerprinting” system for weapons across SADC member states. The aim is instant communication between countries when violations are detected.
Appearing before the Joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security Services and War Veterans Affairs in Mt Hampden, Ncube explained the process. When a licence nears expiry, owners bring the weapon and three live rounds to police.
“Those are fired and are fingerprinted, and we keep the information, and that process is built up to the national database,” Ncube said. Ballistics from test shots create a unique profile for each firearm.
The next step is regional integration. “We are talking with the region to say, we want a system which would be able to communicate with the neighbours,” he said. That would speed up investigations if a gun is used in crime abroad.
But funding is the bottleneck. Ncube appealed to Parliament for procurement support. “We ask for assistance really from this August House, from the committee, to assist us in pushing so that we are enabled to procure this system and we know if we manage to do that, everything else will be easier.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment. Permanent Secretary Ambassador Raphael Tayerera Faranisi said the country has observed the Africa Amnesty Act since 2022, in line with the SADC Protocol on Control of Firearms.
If approved, the biometric database will tighten licensing and registration while boosting cross-border security. For ZRP, it’s about making every firearm traceable, from Harare to the border post.
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