Durban - An eight-year-old boy who was airlifted to hospital on Thursday afternoon following a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head in the Melville-Stanger area is recovering in hospital.
According to Paul Herbst from IPSS Medical Rescue the boy underwent a five-hour operation on Thursday evening.
Mbele said it is alleged that on November 21 at 16:15 children were playing with a firearm at a home in Mellville, KwaDukuza, when a shot went off and struck an eight-year-old child in the head.
Mbele said the firearm from which the shot was discharged was removed from the scene by an unknown suspect and was later found abandoned.
A case of defeating the ends of justice is being investigated by KwaDukuza SAPS.
POST earlier reported that the child had died, based on a statement from SAPS spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele. However the boy's aunt has confirmed this was not the case. She said the family were on the way to the hospital to visit the boy, who was stable on Thursday night following the operation.
POST unreservedly apologises for the misunderstanding.
According to Paul Herbst from IPSS Medical Rescue, it is believed the child had been playing with one of his family members' firearms when one of the rounds went off.
Herbst said paramedics stabilised the critically injured child before he was airlifted on Lenmed 1.
* Last month a 12-year-old Polokwane boy was charged with murder after fatally shooting his toddler brother.
Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said in a statement: "The suspect managed to access the firearm and somehow shot his younger brother. The mother was allegedly alerted by the gunshot sound and rushed to investigate. She then realised that the worst had happened. The badly injured child was rushed to the local clinic, but was certified dead on arrival. The police were then informed about the incident and immediately commenced with investigations."
In 2018, an 11-year-old boy turned the gun on himself after shooting his younger sister dead while playing with their father's firearm in Empangeni.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said the boy was allegedly playing with his father’s licensed firearm when a shot went off and struck his 2-year-old sister.
“The victim was taken to hospital for medical attention where she later died. The brother allegedly turned the gun on himself after seeing what had happened to his sister.”