HARARE, June 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Zimbabwe's parliament on Tuesday ratified the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) protocolon firearms, ammunition and other related materials that seeks to curb proliferation of small arms.

    Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi commended ratification of the treaty, saying the treaty would assist Zimbabwean law enforcement agencies to fight cases of hijackings, drug trafficking and armed robberies that were prevalent in the country.

    "The protocol was a subsidiary instrument to the Protocol on Politics Defense and Security that lays down general guidelines within which SADC pursued its regional integration agenda," the minister said.

    He said all SADC member countries were very willing to implement the protocol and most had either ratified it or were in the final stages of ratification.

    According to Mohadi, a regional database would be created to facilitate swift exchange of information on firearms and ensure that such weapons were traced in a more accurate fashion. Enditem