Ezulwini – A firearm left behind by a deceased parent, spouse or relative does not automatically become part of the inheritance, and families keeping such weapons could unknowingly find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
The warning has again come into sharp focus as the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) has declared September 2026 a firearm surrender amnesty month, giving members of the public an opportunity to hand over illegally possessed firearms without fear of arrest or prosecution.
National Commissioner of Police Manoma V. Masango said the initiative formed part of the African Union’s Africa Amnesty Month and called on every Liswati to take the opportunity seriously following a year in which not a single firearm was voluntarily surrendered during the 2025 amnesty.
The call also brings back a warning issued by Siteki Police Station Commander Senior Superintendent Elmon Nkonde, who told Emaswati that a firearm could not simply be passed from one family member to another following the death of its registered owner.
Speaking on June 27, 2026, during the KaLanga Umphakatsi Thanksgiving Prayer Service, Nkonde made the position clear when he said: “Sibhamu akusilo lifa” – a firearm is not an inheritance.
Nkonde said the position was provided for under the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1964, which stipulates that a firearm becomes state property upon the death of its registered owner. This means families cannot treat a gun like other assets in a deceased estate and simply keep, distribute, transfer or sell it among themselves.
He warned family members and estate executors against privately keeping firearms left behind by deceased relatives, saying this could amount to unlawful possession and expose those involved to serious criminal penalties.
According to Nkonde, once a licensed firearm holder dies, the licence automatically becomes invalid and the firearm must be surrendered to the nearest police station for safe custody while the necessary estate procedures are being processed.
The executor of the deceased estate is also required to notify the Registrar and engage the Central Firearms Registry, which supervises the lawful processes relating to the disposal or transfer of firearms.
The warning is particularly relevant during the current amnesty month, with the National Commissioner expressing concern over the number of illegal firearms continuing to be recovered through arrests across the country.
Masango revealed that between October 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026, at least 87 people were arrested and charged for being found in possession of illegal firearms. Of those arrested, 65 were Emaswati while 22 were foreign nationals.
During the same period, police seized 58 firearms and 509 live rounds of ammunition during the arrests.
The Commissioner said the figures showed that Eswatini faced a major challenge in removing illegal firearms from communities and keeping the public safe.
He said it was disappointing that during the 2025 Amnesty Month, not even a single firearm was surrendered despite crimes involving illegal firearms remaining high and innocent lives being lost.
Masango has now called on members of the public to use September to surrender illegally possessed firearms, assuring those who come forward that they will not be arrested or face legal consequences for voluntarily handing over the weapons during the amnesty period.
However, he warned that once September ends, REPS would intensify its crackdown on illegal firearms through targeted raids and operations.
For families with firearms left behind by deceased relatives, the current amnesty also serves as a reminder that keeping a gun at home because it belonged to a father, mother, spouse or another relative does not automatically make the possession lawful.
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