Police discard 263 firearms in anti-crime drive
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday August 6, 2025 11:45
The destruction exercise, which was witnessed by law enforcement officials and the members of the media, marked another step in BPS’s continuous effort to monitor and control firearm ownership in the country.
Speaking to The Monitor on the sidelines of the event, Senior Superintendent Gosekwang Victor Sebitla explained that most of the surrendered firearms were worn out and no longer functional. Owners handed them in to acquire permits for new weapons.
“Out of the 263 guns, we had 164 shotguns and 96 rifles. We only had one amnesty shotgun and five amnesty rifles, whilst 153 shotguns and 91 rifles were surrendered voluntarily,” Sebitla said.
He noted that some gun owners surrendered their firearms to upgrade to newer or more advanced models, such as moving from a standard shotgun to a semi-automatic firearm.
Sebitla emphasised that the destruction of the weapons was not merely symbolic but was intended to show the police’s firm stance against any form of firearm-related crime.
“This public demonstration reinforces our zero-tolerance approach to all crimes involving firearms. Even if a gun is no longer working, we urge owners to surrender it. Such weapons can fall into the wrong hands, be repaired, and end up being used in crimes without the owner’s knowledge or consent,” he said.
Whilst the firearms destroyed on Friday were not linked to criminal activity, Sebitla confirmed that the police do possess weapons confiscated during criminal investigations. Those cases are still before the courts, and the guns involved will be forfeited to the state and destroyed similarly once legal processes are complete.
Once burnt, the remains of the destroyed firearms will be transported to Lobatse for smelting to ensure complete and irreversible destruction.
“Our motivation in publicly burning a few of these firearms is to locally and internationally demonstrate our commitment to eradicating gun violence, be it murder, poaching, or armed robbery. This exercise is also a deterrent to illegal possession and acquisition of firearms, ” Sebitla said.
He added that in many cases, firearms are central to violent conflicts and are increasingly becoming the weapon of choice for criminals, underscoring the urgency of strict firearm control.
The BPS continues to encourage citizens to surrender unlicensed, old, or unwanted firearms voluntarily and to report any suspicious possession or use of guns to the authorities.