Thohoyandou’s magistrate’s court B could not accommodate the crowd of onlookers. They had travelled from afar to have a glimpse of the man suspected to be an attempted ritual murderer.

This was during the appearance of the alleged ritual murder attempt suspect, 18-year-old Netshivhungululu Rambofheni Mahanyele last Wednesday.

The case was postponed to August 28. Bail was refused and the young man was sent to Venda Central Prison.

His arrest and subsequent court appearance is a sequel to the attack on a six-year-old boy of Makonde-Shadani a fortnight ago, in what is believed to be a ritual incident.

The young man allegedly fled the scene in the wake of screams of the cousin to the young boy, which alerted the elder sister who was in the main house. On seeing what was happening, she shouted for help from neighbours.

However, the young boy was bleeding profusely as he had been cut to the throat.

Police and emergency personnel were summoned to the scene and the boy was taken to a local hospital. The mother of the child said she was still worried that the boy might be hiding others who had sent him. “We are not safe at all; we have decided to move away from this place in fear that they might come back to finish us all,” she said. She said she had stopped working and the children had to travel to school using a taxi, as they are now staying far from school.

Local community leader Vhakoma Vho Nethathe said the boy should not be given bail until he had revealed the names of the others. “He could not have acted alone; let him reveal those who sent him,” he said. Nethathe said there had been so many ritual murders in the village and they had to end.

“We are tired of these senseless killings. Police should act swiftly and arrest all who are involved in ritual killings. This must be the last ritual murder in this area,” he said.