Gugulethu boy, 4, killed by two pitbulls laid to rest

Milani Keke and his friends were playing rugby near his home in NY50 when their ball landed in a neighbour’s yard. Picture: Supplied

Milani Keke and his friends were playing rugby near his home in NY50 when their ball landed in a neighbour’s yard. Picture: Supplied

Published Jan 11, 2021

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Cape Town – A boy from Gugulethu, mauled to death by a neighbour’s two pitbulls last Sunday, was laid to rest on Sunday.

Family members and Gugulethu community members came to bid farewell to Milani Keke a day before his fifth birthday.

Neighbour Unathi Dunda spoke of the gruesome attack that led to Melani’s death.

“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 said.

Ward councillor Sharon Manata stressed the importance for residents who owned pitbulls to secure their properties and have proper fences

“There should be an alert by the City to enforce its animal by-laws when it comes to the ownership of these dogs. Our yards in Gugulethu are not designed for these kinds of animals. 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 said.

Manata said some residents bred the dogs for non-security reasons.

“At some point they were robbing people with these dogs, because they know they are vicious. I also once called on the police to stop a dogfighting game perpetuated by owners. As councillors we won’t know all the people that own such dogs. And to avoid this, we hope to work with street committees and the municipality to ensure that the owners have a proper place for the dogs. They should take responsibility when something like this happens. The law should take its course,” she said.

Family spokesperson Mxolisi Keke said the family was 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.

Cape Argus

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