Limpopo police arrested and charged a 67-year-old man after a woman attacked by his dogs believed to be pit bulls died in hospital a few days after the attack.
The elderly man made his first appearance in court and is expected to return to the Senwabarwana Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Melitta Sekole was reportedly walking from a residential area in the Mara policing precinct towards Vivo on Friday (two days before Christmas) at about 5am when she was attacked by the two dogs believed to be pit bulls, which ripped her clothes and bit her, provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
“The two dogs ripped off her clothes and bit her severely. She was rescued by community members and taken to hospital in critical condition,” Ledwaba told News24.
The severely injured woman was later transferred to a provincial hospital in Polokwane where she succumbed to the injuries on 27 December 2022.
Ledwaba said the dogs’ owner, Nchabeleng Charles Masebe, 62, was arrested and a case of culpable homicide was opened.
Melitta Sekole died reportedly died after two pit bulls attacked her while walking to her workplace.
Family spokesperson Pleasure Makhura told the public broadcaster how hurt they are since the owner of the pit bulls has not reached out to them.
Makhura said when she got to the scene, she found her on the floor, naked. The dogs 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 visiting her in hospital. We don’t know what we will do. She has three children, three of whom are going to matric,” she told the SABC.
Source: News24, The Citizen, Times Live, The South African, image from Twitter: @SABCNews