Key points
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An 8-year-old was burned in a ritual to remove a tokoloshe.
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The child suffered severe injuries and was hospitalized.
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Police charged the mother and healer with attempted murder.
A 39-year-old mother and a 40-year-old traditional healer in the Free State have been arrested after allegedly pouring petrol on the woman’s 8-year-old son and setting him on fire during a ritual.
Police say the bizarre act was part of a traditional ritual intended to “remove a tokoloshe”—a mythical creature often associated with misfortune and spiritual disturbance in South African folklore.
The pair were taken into custody by members of the Ficksburg Family, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit on May 14. The incident took place in January in Meqheleng, near Ficksburg.
Child suffered severe burns in attempted exorcism
Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring said the mother had initially posted on community social media that her son was missing.
However, it was later discovered that he was sick. She reportedly consulted a prophet, who referred her to the traditional healer claiming the child was afflicted by a tokoloshe.
“Petrol was poured on the child, and he was set alight during the ritual,” Mophiring said.
The child was hospitalized with serious burns and later transferred to a hospital in Bloemfontein. He was discharged on April 29, four months after the incident.
Burning child in tokoloshe ritual leads to charges
According to police, the incident remained hidden for months until a concerned community member came forward with the truth.
Authorities acted swiftly to arrest the mother and the healer, who are both now facing charges of attempted murder and child neglect.
They are scheduled to appear before the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday, May 16. The case has drawn public outrage and raised new concerns over dangerous traditional practices that put children’s lives at risk.
