Game scout mistaken fellow to a poacher, shoots him dead

Police deputy spokesperson, Danny Mwale

A 43-year-old game scout at Mzimbiri Farm Ranch in Lusaka West was shot dead by his fellow game scout after mistaking him to be a poacher.

Adamson Zimba sustained a gunshot wound on the forehead and was pronounced dead at the University Teaching Hospitals where he was rushed for treatment.

He was shot at by Robert Mwale aged 32 using a Shotgun on September 16, 2023 around 23:30 hours at Mzimbiri Farm Ranch in Lusaka West.

Police Deputy Spokesperson Danny Mwale says brief facts of the incident are that on September 16, 2023 at around 23:00 hours, Zimba together with other three game scouts took food to their fellow game scouts who were patrolling in the ranch.

Mwale says they delivered the food and without telling his colleagues, Zimba moved out of the place. As the group was patrolling, they heard some noise like that of a person moving around. It was at that moment that Robert Mwale opened fire in the direction where the noise was coming from thinking it was a poacher.

He says later they checked around only to discover that it was their fellow game scout who they found laying in a pool of blood.

“Police were alerted and visited the scene where they found the victim unconscious with bullet wounds on the forehead.

“He was rushed to UTH where he was pronounced dead. The body is in the same Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem and burial.

“Police have arrested Mwale for murder and the firearm has been kept for further Investigations, ” Mwale said.