The Malamulele Magistrate’s Court nearly turned into a wrestling ring on Tuesday when hundreds of curious community members struggled to have a glimpse of the man alleged to have allegedly sliced off the private parts of an eight-year-old boy in Jilongo village, near Malamulele, on Saturday afternoon, in what is believed to be a ritual murder attempt.

The nattily dressed Lucky Simango (23) appeared in connection with the alleged attempted murder of Fortune Khumalo, whom he allegedly lured to the nearby bushes under the pretense of getting him some wild fruit. Police found the Simango in possession of the boy’s private parts and he allegedly told them that he was going to sell these for muti purposes. The boy is fighting for his life at a hospital near Polokwane.

Simango was charged with attempted murder and his case was postponed to September 19 for further investigations. He will remain in custody.

A close family relative, Mrs Sophie Maluleke said the incident had hugely affected the family. She said Fortune’s father, Mr Thomas Khumalo, did not attend the court hearing because he did not want to see the suspect. Maluleke said it was a miracle that the boy lived to tell the tale. "Most victims of alleged ritual murders never survive and we are just thankful that God spared his life."

The mood was somber at Shigombe Primary School where the victim is a Grade 3 learner, with learners struggling to cope with their lessons. Fortune’s empty desk could be seen in the classroom, with learners just staring at each other.

Principal Mr Risimati Hlungwani said many learners and educators collapsed when the news was broken to them at school on Monday. Hlungwani said they had to take some of the pupils to hospital after they fainted. "It will take a long time for the kids to get back to active normal learning," he said.

* Meanwhile, a trust fund has been established to help Fortune’s family and to get access to the best medical care possible. The 22 teachers of Shigombe Primary School have each contributed R100 and each of the 760 learners contributed R2 for the formation of the fund.

For those who want to assist, the details of the fund are: Account Name: Fortune Khumalo Family Fund. Bank: FNB Malamulele. Account Number: 62151417360. The contact person for the fund is Mr Risimati Hlungwani and he can be phoned at 072 282 7251.