By Doreen Mokgolo
- Sibongakonke Hosiyana, aged three, was dragged and killed by vicious dogs at the Marathon Informal Settlement in Germiston on Friday.
- Furious residents killed seven puppies and chased out the owner after this became the third dog attack in the area.
Three-year-old Sibongakonke Hosiyana was walking alone to visit her grandfather when she was mauled by five vicious dogs.
The attack happened in the Marathon Informal Settlement in Germiston on Friday. Sibongakonke took a long, narrow path through the settlement, as she often did, to get to the other side.
But this time, she never made it.
Loud music from a nearby tavern drowned out her screams as the dogs tore into her. By the time people noticed, the animals were already dragging her small body.
She died from her injuries the same day.
Her mother, Lungile Hosiyana, who is battling Stage 4 cancer, said: “I could not believe it when I was called to the scene where my daughter’s lifeless body lay. We are pleading with the SPCA to remove the dogs from the area.”
Ward 93 councillor Geoffrey Mthembu said this is the third attack involving the same pack of dogs. The previous two victims were children who survived but were left traumatised.
“The community says these dogs are vicious and often roam freely,” he said.
After Sibongakonke’s death, angry residents destroyed the dogs’ shelter, killed seven puppies, and chased the owner out of the settlement.
“Now, whenever people see the dogs, they attack them,” said Mthembu.
He added that he has contacted the SPCA to remove the dogs and educate residents about pet care and vaccinations.
Pictured above: Sibongakonke Hosiyana.
Image source: Supplied by the family
