By Admore Mbonda in Kariba
A 54-year-old Kariba woman, Charlene Geddes, has been fined after her unsecured firearm led to an accidental shooting that injured her domestic worker.
Magistrate Simon Kandiero handed down the ruling after Geddes pleaded guilty to two charges under the Firearms Act—failing to properly secure her firearm and failing to notify authorities of a change of address.
She was fined $150 or 60 days in prison for the first count and $30 or 15 days for the second. The court considered her as a first-time offender and acknowledged that she had already paid for her employee’s medical expenses.
According to Prosecutor Nyasha Paundi, the incident occurred on March 17, 2025. Geddes had left her CZ Vzor pistol, loaded with five rounds, under her mattress before going to bed.
The next morning, while making the bed, her domestic worker, Lilian Zanga, accidentally triggered the firearm, causing it to discharge and injure her left lower calf.
The case underscores the importance of responsible firearm ownership. The court stressed the need for secure firearm storage to prevent similar accidents in the future.
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