DURBAN - The case of a KwaZulu-Natal deputy mayor and his bodyguards charged with the unnecessary and cruel shooting of a dog in the Melmoth area has been heard in court.
The National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) investigated the case and laid charges against deputy Mayor Phumlani Ntombela and his bodyguards, Bongani Shabalala and Halalisani Biyela after footage of the shooting that occurred on 25 November 2017 surfaced on social media and was brought to the attention of the Eshowe SPCA five days after the dog was shot.
A national inspector from the NSPCA has appeared in court twice this month to testify against the accused.
"The Eshowe SPCA Inspector attended to the complaint as soon as he was made aware of the situation and found the dog still alive with multiple gunshot wounds. Five days had lapsed and not a single person sought help for this animal, allowing it to suffer for a prolonged period of time," the NSPCA's spokesperson, Meg Wilson said in a statement Friday.
The NSPCA added that travelling to the area on numerous occasions where the shooting occurred cost it a "great deal of time and resources" over the last year. However, it simply could not let the case go.
The case has been postponed to 25 February 2019, where judgment is expected to be handed down.