There’s been another fatal Pit bull attack in Limpopo. 43-year-old Melitta Sekole died after two of the dogs attacked her at Ga-Makgatho village outside Senwabarwana. She was walking to her workplace last week when the incident occurred.
She succumbed to her injuries at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital. Family spokesperson, Pleasure Makhura says they are hurt that the owner of the dogs has not reached out to them.
“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, three of whom are going to matric.”
Police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo has confirmed that the owner of the dogs has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide. Mojapelo says 62-year-old Nchabeleng Sekole has been remanded in custody and will make his second appearance before the Senwabarwana magistrate’s court on Thursday.
Stricter Regulations
In November The PitBull Federation of South Africa called for stricter regulations around the breeding of the dog in the country.
This comes as calls intensify to ban the breed from being a domestic pet after the a 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.
She says the influx of dog fighting rings and improper breeding, coupled with bad ownership all contribute to the recent aggressive attacks.
“At the moment we only have the laws that govern in the instances of pitbull bites or if there is a mauling or a death. Then we have laws that govern that situation which make criminal case. But in terms of owning a power breed and breeding such dogs, there is no legislation and that is one of the things that the Pitbull Dederation is trying to push at government level,” adds Rheeder.
Below is the full interview with Lehanda Rheeder:
Calls for castration and sterilisation of all Pit bull dogs
Meanwhile, the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation is calling for the castration and sterilisation of all Pit bull dogs in the country.
This is to prevent the future existence of what it calls the vicious breed.
Calls for banning of Pitbulls as domestic animals: Sizwe Kupelo 14 November 2022:
