A man, who is believed to have been under the influence of liquor, went berserk and doused a house with petrol, setting it alight before vanishing into the dark of the night.

The fire, which engulfed the whole house, took the life of a Grade 1 pupil of Makumbane Primary School, Mbuelo Ramalivhana (7), whose body was burnt beyond recognition. His mother, Ms Thabelo Ramalivhana (42), who is believed to be romantically involved with the man, was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to Mankweng hospital with severe burns. The woman´s other son, Rumani Ramalivhana, was left with a bruised hand, which he suffered in a scuffle with the suspect.

The shocking incident comes against the backdrop of an escalation of criminal activities in the village. Last month, a female police constable was shot dead at a lodge not far from where the latest incident happened. Her boyfriend survived but was also seriously injured in the shooting. Only last week, a policeman based at Thohoyandou was shot dead when closing his shop at Itsani. His wife suffered a knee injury.

The latest incident raised concerns amongst residents, who feel that they are not safe in their homes.

The eldest son of the deceased, Rumani Ramalivhana, said the suspect came to their home twice during the day and was even given food by his mother. The boy, who runs a small roasted-chicken-feet business, said he went home at around 19:30 and went on to watch movies with his mother and two siblings.

“My mother and my little brother went to bed and I was left with my other brother, who was sleeping on a sofa,” said Rumani. He said while he was watching the movies, the suspect phoned him three times, but he ignored the calls. “He kept on phoning, and I could not ignore him any longer. He told me to open the door in order to take the pot he had taken with him in the afternoon. That happened around nine in the evening,” he said.

He said upon opening the door, the suspect shoved him aside and forced his way into the house. He added that the man then went straight to the bedroom, where he poured petrol, which was in the pot, on the bed the mother and the child were sleeping in. “I tried to wrestle with him because he held a matchbox in his hand. I couldn´t grab the matches, and he managed to light a match and set the bed on fire.

"The room started burning while I was still struggling with the man, and when I let go of him, the whole room was ablaze, but I managed to save my other brother,” he said. He said he tried to locate his mother, but it was difficult as electricity in the house had been cut and it was all dark. His mother managed to leave the room, but the family was unable to rescue the young boy.

He said the incident had shocked him as he thought there was no bad blood between his mother and the man. “The incident has left us in a very difficult situation; we are failing to come to terms with the death of my brother and the injuries sustained by my mother. We are a closely knit family which is full of love. We have put everything in the hands of God, and He will take us through this ordeal,” he said.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Captain Mashudu Malelo confirmed the incident. He said they had opened cases of murder, two of attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. “We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and we will welcome all information that could be of help in our investigation,” he said.

They have not arrested anybody so far, but their net is closing on the suspect, who is known to them.