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A four-year-old boy who was snatched by his 'voodoo' uncle was 'skinned alive' before allegedly having his heart eaten by the family member.

The 'evil killing' of Kamvelihle Ngalathe has rocked his home village after his gran tracked him down to a blood-soaked house of horror.

Kamvelihle had gone missing while out playing with friends.

Gran Nontuthuezelo Gwanya, 70, launched a search in the middle of the night in a desperate bid to find him.

The gran’s sister then tipped her off her to check for the missing boy at her son’s house saying she feared he was 'in the grip of Satan” and 'did not trust him'.

When she knocked at the door at 2am her nephew would not let her in so she forced it open and her screams at what she saw brought villagers running.

Nontuthuezelo told local reporters:”I thought a pig had been slaughtered there was so much blood and then I saw the hand of my small boy and pieces of meat.

(Image: mirror.co.uk)

“He confessed to me that he had eaten the child’s flesh.

“My grandson did not deserve to die like that, especially at the hands of a family member who was supposed to protect and love him,” she sobbed.

Police returned and arrested the 30-year-old man.

Neighbours said the boy’s ribs were on the sideboard and his skull had been skinned and split in half with remains of his brain by a salt shaker.

Police spokesman Captain Nonzero said the suspect had recently been released after seven years in prison for murder after serving his sentence.

Family spokesperson Nosidima Xakana said the village all joined the search.

(Image: Daily Sun)

She said:“Nontuthuezelo got a call from some family members that she must also look at the house where another relative lived to find her grandson.

“Nontuthuezelo went to her nephew’s house and pushed opened the door. The room looked like a slaughter house. There was just blood everywhere.

“The body of Kamva was on the floor cut to pieces. It was a scene like when one slaughters a sheep for a ritual.

“The body was carefully skinned and so was the skull which was away from the child’s body.

“He told the villagers and police he drunk Kamva’s blood and ate his heart and brains. The skull was clean with eyes gouged out and skin taken away."

"A liver was in another dish with one hand," added traumatised Xakana.

Village elder Mte Saleni, 75, said:”When people are on drugs they are uncontrollable. What people saw in that flat will haunt them forever”.

Mandisi Gwanya, 30, was remanded in custody and charged with murder in KwaNtsila village, Eastern Province, South Africa.

Kamva was the son of Ms Gwanya’s married but unnamed daughter.