In a strange incident that occurred at Masia-Vhangani village last Wednesday, an elderly man allegedly cut off the finger of a six-year-old girl and "ate it".

The young Kurhula Nyashoke, a Grade 1 learner at Shandukani Primary School, explained that she was coming from school when she met the 79-year-old suspect. He allegedly tried to lure her into his house, offering her mangos and stew. The girl refused, but the man allegedly grabbed her. The old man then allegedly covered her with a blanket before putting her in a drum filled with water.

The little girl tried to escape, but was pushed down by the man. He then cut off her finger with a knife and sucked up the blood while she was screaming for help.

A neighbour heard the screams and rushed to the house. He kicked open the door and found the child still screaming for help while she was being dragged through the water. The neighbour snatched the girl from the elderly man's hands and alerted some other villagers, before calling the police and the ambulance.

When the police arrived, they found the suspect still busy licking the blood from his lips. He appeared to be surprised by the fact that members of the police and villagers were surrounding his house and asked if he could help them.

The girl's mother, Sarah Mudau, said she is still shocked about what had happened to her daughter. She wants the Department of Justice to set an example when acting against the old man. She said her daughter was greatly traumatized by the events. "I'm worried about the finger of my child. The old man was asked about the whereabouts of the finger, but he only responded by saying 'I ate it'," she said.

The victim's elder sister, Thoko Mabogo, said it was very strange to see the old man licking the blood of the young girl. His lips were smeared with blood and he was seemingly enjoying the taste of the blood. "I hate that old man. He wanted to kill my younger sister," she said.

The spokesperson for the Vuwani Police, W/O Elijah Malatji, said a 79-year-old suspect, Piet Mudau who goes by the nickname Masonono, appeared in the Vuwani Magistrate's Court last Thursday. His case was postponed to March 4 for further investigations and he remains in custody.