Similar workshops for representatives from all law enforcement agencies as well as civil society members would be held in each region until May 14.

As a signatory to a number of important agreements and declarations, including the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials in the Region of the Community, Namibia is legally bound to implement a national plan of action.

The SADC Protocol has been ratified by two-thirds of member states and will soon enter into force, according to Peter Cross, Project Co-ordinator of Safer World.

Safer World and Safer Africa, two NGOs focusing on human security who have developed a successful model for the development of these plans in Africa, are facilitating the workshops in Namibia.

They have gone through the same process in Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda and Kenya over the past two years.

Samuel Nuuyoma, Governor of Erongo, said at the official opening of the workshop that the uncontrolled manufacture and production of small arms and light weapons had contributed significantly to the suffering of vulnerable and innocent people, specifically the elderly, women and children.

"We cannot and should not allow ourselves to be controlled by man-made production," the Governor said.

According to Sarel Buys, facilitator of Safer Africa, the objective of the workshops were to collect information from law enforcement officials on their perception and experiences of small arms and light weapons in their respective regions.

Specific issues per region will be addressed in the national action plan.

Cross told The Namibian after the workshops that a household survey of 3 500 households would be conducted to gage the perception of the man on the street on security issues specifically related to fire arms.

"All the data will be collected and analysed to identify key issues for the development of a plan of action."

He said the plan should be in place by July after which implementation would start.

He said Tanzania was already in its second year of implementation and that the practical impact could already been seen.

The law enforcement agencies involved in the workshops are the Namibian Police as the lead agency, the Office of the President, National Defence Force, Customs and Excise, the wildlife section of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Office of the Prosecutor-General.

Civil society will mostly be represented by security companies.

Local News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Hishongwa hits out at 'newcomers'
•  Doctors to court over dispensing rights
•  Project money missing
•  N$20 000 fine for computer corruption
•  Police kill suspect after 'struggle'
•  Union wants NHE bosses' heads
•  2008 a year of political violence: DTA
•  Gender violence takes centre stage
•  Employers of disabled people awarded
•  Closure of copper mines adds gloom to Nam mining outlook
•  78 Zim farmers win land case
•  Floodgates open over Windhoek
•  Everyone except Swapo to blame for the violence, claims President