Some of the workers at a supermarket in the farming town of Vivo outside Senwabarwana in Limpopo, are demanding that the two pit bulls that killed their colleague be put down. The dogs attacked 43-year-old Melitha Sekole, while she was walking to work last month.
She later succumbed to injuries in the Pietersburg provincial hospital. Sekole will be buried in Makgato village this weekend. The owner of the dogs has been arrested.
These workers say they are living in fear.
“What happened to Melitha is very terrible and we live in fear that it might happen to us.”
“Since the pit bulls are still alive, we fear we also don’t feel safe.”
“We want the dogs to be found and if possible, they must be killed before they attack again.”
Pit bull owner arrested
Limpopo police have confirmed that the owner of two pit bulls that attacked Sekole has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide.
Provincial police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo says Nchabeleng Sekole (62) has been remanded in custody and will make his second appearance in the Senwabarwana Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Family spokesperson Pleasure Makhura says, “When I got to the scene I found her on the floor, naked. The dogs had ripped off her clothes and she was in so much pain. I found the ambulance staff helping her alongside the owner of the dogs. It hurts us that he has not come to the family while he has been visiting her in hospital. We don’t know what we are going to do; she has three children.”
Meanwhile, residents have also called for Pit bulls to be removed from their communities.
“As the community we feel very unsafe having pit bulls within our area. This incident can be seen as the first reported hence it’s not the first to happen in this area. We are here to find out to be given a report from the police to since the incident, what have they done. We got reports that they arrested the owner but we are not sure because we must be told by the police,” say a resident.
Regulations
The call came to ban the breed from being a domestic pet after the mauling claimed the life of an eight-year-old boy in Bloemfontein.
Spokesperson for the Federation Lehanda Rheeder says while they do sympathise with the family, the entire breed cannot be stereotyped and punished.
Below is the full interview with Lehanda Rheeder:
