Zimbabwe’s conventional arms control regime is weak; it is characterised by outmoded laws and regulations as well as limited adherence to international agreements. While it has experienced some modernisation over the years through domestic, regional, and international agreements, the regime remains rooted in nearly 70-year-old colonial-era legislation.
The country’s primary arms control legislation is the Firearms Act of 1957. The Act states that any person or entity wishing to manufacture or trade in firearms and ammunition must be registered and must have been granted written authority to do so by the ‘controller’ and/or the Minister of Home Affairs, or another Minister to whom the President has delegated the task. Additionally, the Act requires the maintenance of several registers relating to the firearms themselves, those manufacturing firearms and ammunition, and those trading in them.
Zimbabwe has amended the Act on several occasions, though these have largely been limited to statutory instruments, with the exception of Act No. 22 of 2001, which modernised dealer licensing, increased penalties, and altered permit revocation and appeal processes. Crucially, these amendments have not sought to align Zimbabwe’s domestic legislation more closely with the regional or international agreements the country has entered into. The Act only deals with the private ownership, production, and transfer of arms in Zimbabwe, explicitly stating that the State is not bound by its provisions. As a result, the rules and regulations that govern the State’s stockpile, production, and international transfer of arms remain vague at best.
The regulatory structure governing state-owned weapons is understood to operate under the Defence Act, which establishes the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), comprising the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe. However, this framework lacks comprehensive provisions for arms control oversight, inventory management, or accountability mechanisms for military arsenals. The ZDF operates with minimal legislative constraints on weapons acquisition, storage, or transfer protocols, creating potential risks for weapons proliferation, misuse, and potential diversion.
Although Zimbabwe is a party to, or has signed, a number of international agreements pertaining to curbing the illicit trade in arms and regulating international conventional arms transfers, it has yet to fully implement most, if not all, of these treaties, conventions, or protocols. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, the SADC Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Materials of 2001 as well as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). While elements of the Firearms Act reflect some of the SADC Protocol’s provisions (such as requirements for marking and recordkeeping), large sections do not conform. For example, the Act does not comply with the SADC requirement that firearms be marked on import and export, nor are there regulations regarding the transit of arms through Zimbabwe. Moreover, the Act does not make it a legal requirement to uphold UN arms embargoes. As the Act explicitly exempts the State from its provisions, it also fails to comply with any of SADC’s requirements regarding state-owned arms. Furthermore, while Zimbabwe is a signatory to the ATT, it has not ratified the treaty. Consequently, none of its provisions have been implemented, including significant reporting requirements.
Importantly, the Zimbabwean government has recognised the need for arms control modernisation and reform. In late 2024, the Zimbabwean Cabinet approved a set of principles in accordance with which the Firearms Act is to be amended. While this is a positive move, it remains unclear whether the new amendments will bring Zimbabwe’s arms control regime in line with the relevant international agreements or global norms more broadly.