By Bonny Verwey
News that a pet cat was cooked to death in a microwave oven in Durban has horrified and disgusted Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) officials, especially as the suspects are students studying to be teachers.
To compound matters, some students found the issue amusing when a meeting was held on Tuesday night to discuss the incident.
Kloof SPCA Inspector Roland Fivaz said that the incident took place on Sunday evening at the Pinewood residence of the Edgewood campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
The tortoiseshell cat, which belonged to a campus security guard, was found in the microwave oven at the residence on Tuesday morning.
This is the most horrific case I have ever dealt with in my experience as an SPCA inspector, Fivaz said.
A meeting with students of the Pinewood residence took place on Tuesday night to ascertain what happened.
Edgewood campus Students' Representative Council spokesperson Nkosinathi Gwala and student housing representatives spoke to the students firmly about the seriousness of the incident and imposed a R100 fine on every resident until someone came forward with information.
However, while some students were angry, others found the situation funny and laughed out aloud.
What kind of a human being can put a live cat in a microwave and then switch it on? asked Gwala.
We cannot tolerate this behaviour. Those responsible, whether it's an individual or group, must be removed from the residence and face disciplinary action.
We cannot stay in a residence where there is this sort of thing going on. After all, if people can impose this type of torture on an animal, they can do it to a human being as well, he said.
Gwala said the incident was disheartening because the likely culprits were studying to be teachers.
Professor Evan Mantzaris, chairperson of the Combined Staff Association, said the incident was sad.
These are the young people who, in a few years, will go on to educate and mould our country's youth, teaching them the discipline of being humane and moral, he said.
Christi Naudé, spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal Education Minister Ina Cronje, said the department was horrified.
If these allegations are in fact true, we are extremely shocked that some of our potential teachers could perform such a callous and inhumane act, she said.
Trevor Wills, Executive Dean of UKZN, said he was aware of the incident and that an internal investigation into the cruel and barbaric act was continuing.
At the moment, there is no confirmation as to who is responsible. If it turns out that the responsible party or parties are either our students or staff, we will take swift and severe action against them.
This act is completely unacceptable, he said.