The little boy from Gugulethu, who was mauled to death by a neighbour’s two pit bulls, has been laid to rest a week after the incident.
On Sunday, family and Gugulethu community members said farewell to Milani Keke, a day before his fifth birthday.
Neighbour Unathi Dunda spoke of the gruesome attack that led to Milani’s death.
The boy and his friends were playing rugby near his home in NY50 when their ball landed in a neighbour’s yard.
He climbed on the wall and peeked over to look for the ball when one of the dogs jumped up and grabbed him by the neck.
“I was inside the house with his mother when we heard cries outside. When we stepped outside, the dogs were already attacking him.
“While trying to pull him away, one of the dogs grabbed him by the shoulder and hit him on the wall and he became unconscious,” he told the Cape Argus.
Meanwhile, the owner of the dogs has refused to speak to the media about the incident.
When the Daily Voice arrived at his house on Monday, a woman who opened the door said he was at work and refused to give his telephone number.
“The owner of the dogs does not want to speak to the media. He is at work,” she said.
The two dogs were removed on the day of the incident by Law Enforcement officers.
The animals were taken to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA and were euthanised last week, says Law Enforcement spokesman Wayne Dyason.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said Gugulethu police have opened a death inquest case for investigation and no arrests have yet been made.
Family spokesperson Mxolisi Keke told the Cape Argus that they were waiting for police to conclude their investigations.
“It is still painful to the family to comprehend the manner in which Milani had died.
“We will wait on the police to release their findings and hopefully the law will take its course,” he said.
Ward councillor Sharon Manata implored residents who owned pit bulls to secure their properties and have proper fences, reported the Cape Argus.
“There should be an alert by the City to enforce its animal by-laws when it comes to the ownership of these dogs,” Manata says.
She said yards in Gugulethu were not designed for pit bulls.
“When one decides to keep this dog, they should have a proper yard where they won’t be able to jump the fence.
“We do however acknowledge that people keep these dogs because of the rampant crime in our areas but by now we expect the people to follow the protocols and the by-laws,” she added.