A Port Elizabeth schoolboy nearly had his face blown off after he was offered a cigarette.
What the 12-year-old didn’t know, was that a firecracker had been hidden inside the entjie.
And when the three grown men lit it for Shane Witbooi, the firecracker exploded.
The Grade 6 pupil suffered severe injuries, while the three suspects — believed to be brothers from Summerstrand and the sons of a police colonel, all in their 20s — are being investigated.
Police said a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was opened, which could change to attempted murder.
Shane is in hospital with burns to his face and arms, his eyes swollen shut, and unable to speak. It is not clear if the damage to his eyes and ears will be permanent, reports Times LIVE.
The boy apparently went missing from home on Saturday afternoon.
Police spokesman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said at about 2am on Sunday, three males approached Shane and a bergie in Beach Road.
“According to police information, a ‘cigarette’ was offered to vagrants and a 12-year-old accepted it. The ‘cigarette’ was allegedly lit by one of the three men and seconds later it blew up in the face of the child,” Naidu said.
The three men then sped off in a bakkie.
The vehicle's registration number was traced to a house in Summerstrand.