Farm Worker Shot Dead by Minor in Rural South Africa, Police Say

11-Year-Old Allegedly Shoots Farm Worker Dead in Tragic Limpopo Incident

An 11-year-old boy in South Africa has allegedly shot and killed a farm worker while reportedly trying to shoot at guinea fowls on a farm in Thabazimbi, Limpopo province. According to police, the firearm was “accidentally discharged,” though the full circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

Upon receiving the report, police responded to the scene and discovered the body of a man, believed to be in his 30s, lying on his side with a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The child’s 43-year-old father has since been arrested and is expected to face charges related to the negligent handling of a firearm. Both the father and child are due to appear in court on Monday. The firearm in question has been seized by authorities as part of the ongoing investigation.

The incident has sparked renewed concern across South Africa over firearm safety, particularly in rural communities where guns are often present in households for security or wildlife control.

“This heartbreaking incident serves as a reminder that firearms must be handled with the utmost care and stored securely at all times,” said Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe. She emphasized that parents and guardians have a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that children do not have access to firearms under any circumstances.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the local farming community, with many expressing disbelief and concern over the dangers of unsecured weapons in homes.

This case follows another similar incident earlier this month in the Eastern Cape, where an eight-year-old boy fatally shot his seven-year-old cousin using his father’s firearm. In that case, police opened a murder case against the child, and the 48-year-old father was charged with failure to safeguard the weapon.

These back-to-back incidents have intensified calls for stricter enforcement of gun safety laws, better public education on firearm responsibility, and increased accountability for gun-owning parents and guardians.