Africa-Press – South-Africa. As the people of [Sekoti Mpate in] Phomolong, we are traumatised and in need of counselling. What we witnessed yesterday (Sunday) was a horrible sight.”
These were the words of Maitse Saule, the grandfather of three-year-old Keketso Innocent Saule, who was mauled to death by two pit bull terriers in Hennenman, in the Free State, on Sunday morning.
Saule told News24 on Monday the boy’s grandmother, who was the first to identify his scattered body parts after the attack, was barely coping.
“From what I saw, the dogs mauled half his face and head. We could see parts of his brain after the attack,” he said.
He added that Keketso’s friend who was with him during the attack was also traumatised after witnessing the death of his friend.
He, too, could have died had a neighbour not rescued him, said Saule. According to him, the two pit bulls did not belong to the property owner as they don’t live in the area.
The property, he said, was being occupied by two tenants, one of whom had the vicious pets. Saule said the municipality arranged to fetch Keketso’s mother, who received her first counselling session with a social worker on Monday.
He added that the municipality had pledged to cover the costs of the funeral on Saturday.
Ward councillor Pheello Nthuba told News24 the municipality and residents had pledged donations, including a tombstone, toward Keketso’s funeral.
He said the tenant who had the pit bulls at the time of the attack did not own them, but had them temporarily for breeding purposes.
Nthuba said he advised him to report the attack to the police.
The attack sparked anger from residents, who attacked one of the dogs by hitting it with garden spades and stones before setting it alight.
Police and the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) responded to the scene and confiscated one of the pit bulls. The NSPCA euthanised the second dog.
According to NSPCA spokesperson Keshvi Nair, pit bulls are power breeds and, therefore, naturally vicious.
What compounds this is training them for dog fighting, which makes them uncontrollable and puts people at risk.
She said while the NSPCA acknowledged the trauma and pain of losing loved ones to pit bull attacks, it was equally concerned by the violence meted out to pit bulls responsible for attacks.
“Because of the emotional response that people can sometimes have when they respond to the attacks, they can resort to inhumane ways to deal with the situations.
“Sometimes, these animals are stoned or poured with boiling water. We are not saying it’s okay to attack people, but you also have to look into the risks they are exposed to,” said Nair.
Police spokesperson, Captain Stephen Thakeng, said the police had opened an inquest docket.
“An inquest case was registered for further investigation and there will be an additional charge under the Animals Amendment Act. A thorough investigation will be conducted regarding the circumstances which led to the two pit bulls killing the boy,” Thakeng said.
The owner of the two dogs was arrested on Monday and charged.
Thakeng said Lebohang Pali, 21, also known as Mampudi, appeared in the Hennenman Magistrate’s Court and was granted R300 bail. He will be back in court on Wednesday.
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