Untitled Document

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. It analyzes how historical conflicts, porous borders, and failed disarmament processes have created a 'culture of violence' and fueled criminal activity in Southern Africa.

• Zimbabwe serves as both a source country for weapons due to its indigenous manufacturing capabilities and a transit country for regional flows. The Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI), a government-owned company formed in 1984, produces small arms ammunition and mortar supplies, exporting between US$ 10-50 million worth of military supplies between 1992 and 1996, primarily to other African countries.
• Mozambique is characterized as a source, transit, and end-user country. The country is 'awash with small arms' resulting from the liberation war (1964-1974/5) and a subsequent civil war (1976-1994), where weapons were distributed to militia groups and civilians for self-defence without effective retrieval mechanisms.
• The United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) disarmament exercise is described as a failure because it focused on traditional military institutions and ignored weapons held by civilians or in non-declared caches. While 214,219 weapons were officially collected, this was an insignificant proportion of the estimated one to six million weapons in the country.
• In Mozambique, illegal arms are categorized into three forms: caches deliberately retained by former warring parties as 'insurance' or political bargaining chips; caches held by individual soldiers for personal gain or security; and weapons owned by ordinary civilians and criminals.
• A 'culture of violence' has emerged in Mozambique where firearms are viewed as 'normal' and are used as instruments of production for livelihood and profit. Arms-related crimes increased by 49.6% between 1994 and 1996, rising from 1,122 to 1,679 cases.
• Swaziland has primarily functioned as a transit country for weapons moving from Mozambique into South Africa, particularly into KwaZulu-Natal. However, it has become an end-user country as rural dwellers acquire weapons for self-protection against armed cattle rustlers and bandits.
• Regional cooperation efforts include the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO), headquartered in Harare, and the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC). These bodies facilitate information sharing and joint operations, such as 'Operation Rachel', which destroyed over 450 tons of firearms in Mozambique since 1995.
• The Christian Council of Mozambique's 'Swords into Ploughshares' (TAE) project attempted a voluntary arms buy-back, exchanging weapons for agricultural equipment and food. The project's success fluctuated based on political momentum; collections increased between 1995 and 1996 during a period of high confidence in peace, but decreased as political tensions rose in late 1996.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Untitled Document. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono34.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Untitled Document. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono34.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Untitled Document |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono34.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesnduntitled, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Untitled Document}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono34.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }