This follows
the case of a Harare man, Mr Samuel Machera, who was on Saturday night mauled
to death by vicious dogs owned by Mr Mike Mupinga, who is scheduled to appear
in court today on culpable homicide charges.
What began as
an ordinary Saturday evening stroll ended in tragedy for Mr Machera, a resident
who never made it back home.
His lifeless
body was discovered early Sunday morning, gruesomely mauled by a pack of dogs
in a chilling incident that has left the community shaken.
The Herald
yesterday visited the scene of the attack, where a sense of horror still
lingered in the air.
The yard where
Mr Machera is believed to have met his fate is enclosed by precast walls barely
higher than a normal man’s knees.
With such low
boundaries, the dogs, suspected to have come from within the property, had easy
access to the street, raising serious questions about safety and containment.
According to
experts, pit bulls are associated with a higher risk of danger compared to
other dog breeds.
While the breed
itself does not inherently guarantee dangerous behaviour, pit bulls and mixes
are responsible for a significant number of attacks.
Their bite
style, characterised by a hold-and-shake technique, can cause severe damage,
potentially leading to permanent injuries.
Responsible
ownership is critical, but the breed’s potential for inflicting harm is a valid
concern.
Neighbours
gathered at the blood-stained scene, speaking in hushed tones as they pointed
out the trail of destruction left behind.
Mr Elijah
Machera, the deceased’s nephew, recounted the moment he was summoned to
identify his uncle’s body.
“I received a
call from a friend who had seen the body and suspected it could be uncle. I
rushed to the scene and was devastated to find it was indeed him,” he said.
He said the
incident could have taken place during the night.
“He had gone
out around 9pm for a smoke break. We never thought anything was amiss until the
news came in the early morning hours. Judging by the state of the body, the
attack must have happened overnight,” he said.
Another
resident, Ms Catherine Chiwara, who lives a few streets away, said she had
never set foot in the yard until yesterday.
“This is my
first time standing in front of this house, and, unfortunately, it had to be
under such grim circumstances,” she said.
Ms Chiwara
shared her terrifying brush with danger involving the same dogs.
“Just a few
weeks ago, I was nearly attacked by the same dogs. I was lucky that some people
nearby came to my rescue before the animals could do any real harm,” she said.
Harare Mayor
Advocate Jacob Mafume said they had ordered municipal police to shoot all stray
dogs.
“We have
instructed municipal police to shoot all stray dogs that are disturbing
joggers, children and residents,” he said.
He added: “In
some societies like the United States they have totally banned such types of
dogs but in our case, we have instructed our legal team to see if we can ban
these dogs and if we cannot then we will instruct the Government to act
immediately and make sure that such species are banned.” Herald
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