The farmworker is thought to have been accidentally hit while the boy was shooting guinea fowl.
The father of an 11-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday after his son shot and killed a worker on a farm in Thabazimbi, Limpopo.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the farmworker was accidentally shot early in the morning.
Boy accidentally shoots farmworker
The boy was allegedly shooting at guinea fowl when the farmworker was hit by the bullet.
“Police were called to the scene after reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered the body of an African male, estimated to be in his thirties, lying on his side with a bullet wound to the upper left chest,” said Ledwaba.
“Emergency medical services were summoned to the scene, and the victim was declared dead upon arrival.”
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Father arrested
Ledwaba said the boy’s 43-year-old father was arrested and charged with negligent handling of a firearm.
“The firearm and cartridge were confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation.”
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe warned parents about their responsibility to keep guns away from children.
“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,” he said.
The father and the boy will appear at the Thabazimbi Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 13 October 2025.
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