11-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Shoots Farmer Dead
Police in Thabazimbi have launched an investigation after an 11-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed a farm worker in a tragic accident on Saturday morning, October 11, 2025.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), officers were called to a farm at around 05:45 following reports of a shooting.
On arrival, they discovered the body of an African male, believed to be in his thirties, lying on his side with a gunshot wound to the upper left chest. Paramedics confirmed the victim was dead at the scene.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the boy had been shooting at guinea fowls on the property when he accidentally discharged the firearm, fatally wounding the worker.
Police have since arrested the boy’s 43-year-old father, who faces charges of negligent handling of a firearm. The firearm and spent cartridge were confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation.
Both the child, under the provisions of the Child Justice Act, and his father are expected to appear before the Thabazimbi Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 13, 2025.
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, expressed deep concern over the incident, urging parents and gun owners to exercise extreme caution with firearms.
This heartbreaking incident serves as a reminder that firearms must be handled with the utmost care and stored securely at all times. Parents and guardians must ensure that children do not have access to firearms under any circumstances,” said Lieutenant General Hadebe.
Police investigations are ongoing.
