ONCE again, Lesotho grapples with the scourge of gun violence as well-known Mafeteng taxi boss Mare Nthunya was shot dead last Saturday by an unknown assailant. The spectre of gun violence naturally hangs over this story, especially given the numerous identical cases over the preceding years.
Time and again, Basotho and in some cases foreigners have been shot by unknown assailants who disappear and are never heard from again. Of course the police always claim investigations are ongoing, but it is more likely than not that the trail of the probe runs cold.
The latest shooting brings back to the fore the simmering threat of gun violence amid the seeming tranquillity of the Mountain Kingdom. The most common thread in these shootings is politics and the famo turf wars, although criminality is also rising.
While some may argue that shootings in Lesotho are not a new phenomenon, the fact that we try to normalise the abnormal should, in itself, be cause for concern. As rightly noted by former Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing Minister S’khulumi Ntsoaole elsewhere in this edition, the negative perception of the country stymies any chances of luring viable foreign direct investment.
Cases of shootings remain high because, for so long, Basotho have been able to access firearms smuggled from South Africa through the porous border. While the police deserve commendation for going after people illegally possessing firearms, more needs to be done to ensure guns are only in the hands of law-abiding and responsible citizens. A strategy to address substance abuse is also in order since the vice plays a significant role in the prevalence of serious and violent crime in the country.
Although statistics on gun violence in Lesotho are not readily available, the rampant instances of gun violence paint a depressing picture of a nation at war with itself.
Even though the police say a lot of illegal firearms have been confiscated and surrendered, there are still too many illegal guns in the hands of the public. As a result, gun and gang violence can also lead people who are not involved in gangs to also carry guns out of fear. After all, the need for safety is a key reason people join gangs.
What little research exists points clearly to the risks of increased gun ownership in Lesotho. A gun in the home is more likely to be used on a resident of that home than on an intruder. Any access to a firearm increases the risk of death by homicide, particularly for women. According to researchers at the University of San Francisco, firearms play a significant role in both suicide and homicide, accounting for slightly more than half of all suicide deaths and two-thirds of homicide deaths
Yet, the gun industry profits from each of these acts. It is in their interest to keep guns easily available so that people who fear random gun violence will buy more guns. It’s no secret that countries with stricter gun laws do not have these heart-breaking headlines week after week. For instance, Australia has not had a mass shooting since 1996 thanks to tough gun control laws and the banning of a large array of weapons.
In light of the continuation of these senseless killings, we can and we must change the conversation around gun culture and gun violence. The gun culture’s worship of the protective capacities of guns and their power to be wielded against perceived enemies is a message that resonates with many among us, and it needs to be changed.
We must also challenge the narrative that more guns will make us safer, and fight against the complacency and complicity of elected officials in failing to come up with stricter gun laws.
Furthermore, the seemingly easy to and fro movement of guns across the border needs more concerted efforts to nip in the bud. This brings in the role of border guarding agencies, their capacity, numbers, deployment pattern and ability to operate in largely underdeveloped and difficult areas. Reform is certainly in order.
