A ward councillor in the City of Ekurhuleni, Geoffrey Mthembu says the group of vicious dogs that fatally mauled a three-year-old girl last week, are still roaming the streets.
The toddler was killed at Marathon informal settlement on Friday evening.
“The toddler was walking alone through a narrow passage within the settlement, as she often did while visiting her grandfather. During this walk, she was viciously attacked by approximately five dogs,” said ward councillor Mthembu.
“Despite any efforts to assist her, the child sadly succumbed to her injuries later, on the same day.”
Mthembu said the toddler’s mother is terminally ill, battling stage four cancer, which the councillor said further compounds the grief and devastation faced by the toddler’s family..
“I visited both the bereaved family and the scene of the incident to offer my condolences and assess the situation firsthand. It is important to note that this marks the third reported incident involving the same group of dogs in this area,” he said.
“The two previous incidents involved other children, who fortunately survived, though with trauma. The dogs have been repeatedly described by the community as highly aggressive and dangerous.”
Following the recent attack on Friday, community members allegedly took matters into their own hands by demolishing the shacks believed to belong to the owners of the marauding dogs.
“During this action, seven puppies were also killed,” said Mthembu.
“While I understand the anger and deep frustration experienced by residents — especially after multiple warnings and previous attacks — I urge the community to allow the appropriate authorities to intervene in such cases.”
The heartbreaking incident has raised serious concerns around animal control, public safety, and the need for urgent municipal intervention.
Mthembu has appealed to relevant departments within the City of Ekurhuleni to work hand in hand with the community, in a bid to address the grave concerns swiftly.
IOL has reached out to the City of Ekurhuleni and this story will be updated once the city’s reaction is received.
Last year, IOL reported that theThekwini Municipality urged residents to vaccinate their pets against rabies following the death of a three-year-old child in Ngonyameni.
Gugu Sisilana, the city’s spokesperson, said the child had been in contact with a dog suspected of being infected with rabies.
She said after exhibiting symptoms such as fatigue and a sore throat, the child passed away.
“The city’s communicable diseases team discovered that the child had been in contact with a sick dog during their investigation. They also learnt that the dog had become aggressive and was put down by the owner.
“Rabies in humans can present with symptoms such as headaches, fever, mental confusion, irritability, restlessness, and muscle pain, among others. The disease is extremely dangerous, but it is preventable,” she said.
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