Johannesburg - African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyo Zungula has called for a complete ban on pit bulls in South Africa.
This comes in the wake of several pit bull attacks, mainly on children.
The latest incident was the mauling an eight-year-old boy in Vista Park, Free State, on Sunday. It is reported that the police had to shoot dead the pit bull after it allegedly jumped over the fence and attacked the boy who was playing in his yard in Vista Park.
Many social media users have also been calling for a ban on pit bulls.
Citing countries such as Netherlands, Poland, France, Germany, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia and Italy who have banned the breeding of pit bulls, Zungula said owners and communities had a responsibility to protect children who were the main victims.
"As a community, we have one responsibility: protect the future of the country (the children). The keeping of pit bulls as pets is not contributing to this ideal. There have been enough fatalities. It is time to take a stand. These animals do not belong in our communities," Zungula said.
The SPCA in Bloemfontein said more than 49 pit bull owners had surrendered their dogs to its care this week.
The reporting of death at the hands of pit bulls have become common on social media in recent months. In September, a 10-year-old boy from Gqeberha was mauled to death by his family’s pit bulls. Police said the 10-year-old and two other children were inside their home when the attack took place.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said the boy succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The police were alerted and, on arrival, the officers shot both dogs inside the house.
Following the incident, the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation called for the immediate ban of pit bulls as domestic pets in South Africa.
After calls for this breed of dogs to be banned in the country, the Pitbull Federation of South Africa said it met to find consensus among its members.
"If we are going to take any kind of action, we will need to be able to back our claims that will represent every responsible pit bull and pit bull-cross owner. What many do not know is we have a database that has been running for years, and we currently have many responsible owners on there who do not breed or show," the federation said.
Joining the call not to ban pit bulls is actor and dancer Hungani Ndlovu. The former “Scandal” actor said the dogs were not to blame – the owners were.
“Pit bulls aren’t inherently dangerous dogs. The owner is responsible for how he/she moulds the dog. Y’all want to ban pit bulls but keep Rottweiler, bull terriers, German Shepherds… the list goes on! It’s not the dog! It’s the owner,” he said.
The Star