Limpopo father granted R3,000 bail after son fatally wounds farm worker
IOL A father faces charges of negligent firearm handling after his 11-year-old son accidentally shot and killed a farm worker
Image: File image
A 43-year-old father has appeared in the Thabazimbi Magistrate's Court on a charge of negligent handling of a firearm following a tragic incident in which his 11-year-old son shot and killed Frans Modise, a 39-year-old casual worker at a local farm.
It is alleged that the boy had been attempting to hunt Guinea fowl when he fired a shot, fatally wounding Modise.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Modise's brother was present at the scene and called the boy's father to alert him about the shooting.
"The father quickly contacted both the police and emergency medical services. Upon arrival, officers discovered Modise’s lifeless body on the ground, featuring a gunshot wound to the upper body," said NPA spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.
Malabi-Dzhangi explained that under South African law, children under the age of 10 are considered to be below the age of criminal capacity and thus cannot be prosecuted.
"Consequently, the minor will not appear in court and will instead be assisted by the Department of Social Development, under the guidelines of the Child Justice Act," she added.
The father, who faces charges of negligent handling of a firearm, was granted bail set at R3,000.
The court has postponed the case until December 12, 2025 to allow for further investigations into the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking event.
IOL