Police in Choma have arrested a 54-year-old man for allegedly shooting at his 22-year-old employee to test if his gun was working.

In a statement yesterday, Southern Province police commissioner Bonny Kapeso stated that George Banda had sustained wounds on his left leg.

“I can confirm that the Starbeef Butchery owner Neil Kirk Patrick of Gamamwe Ranches in Choma, allegedly wilfully and intentionally shot at his farm worker, George Banda, who sustained gunshot wounds on his left leg, two weeks ago. This was after the victim together with his fellow farm workers encountered poachers but the victim’s gun couldn’t fire. When the victim reported the incident to their farm manager, now the suspect, the manager grabbed the gun and asked the farm worker to stand between two trees in order to test whether the gun would fire or not,” Kapeso stated.

He stated that the manager was charged with attempted murder.

“He then opened fire on the farm worker and injured him on his left leg and abandoned him without due care. The manager and his fellow farmers later organised for private treatment until information reached the police, who later nabbed the manager and charged him with attempted murder. He is currently in police custody while investigations are under way. He will soon appear before court. The matter was only reported last week since the case was concealed,” stated Kapeso.