Two sentenced for killing dog

THE Cape of Good Hope SPCA was at the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court for the hearing of two men charged with stabbing a dog to death.

The dog was stabbed in public by Sihle Mbambo and Mibongo Siyokwane, on May 10, 2018. They were arrested after a video of the incident was widely shared on social media. Mbambo was arrested on May 28, 2018, and Siyokwane on April 10, 2019. The men faced charges related to contravening the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.

SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said: “On May 11, 2018, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA was alerted to a dog by the name of Benjie that had been very publicly stabbed to death by two men on May 10, 2018.

“The owner had subsequently buried Benjie in his garden. We immediately dispatched inspector Siviwe Noko to the home in Khayelitsha where he had the grisly task of digging up Benjie's remains. These were taken directly to the State Vet for post-mortem purposes. We were in the process of gathering further evidence when the video of the attack went viral on social media.”

Both suspects were found guilty and handed 12 months direct imprisonment, suspended for five years on condition they perform one year community service at the SPCA.

Should they fail to complete the community service, the two would receive the maximum imprisonment of 12 months.

Chief inspector Jaco Pieterse welcomed the maximum sentence of 12 months.

“We have mixed feelings. We would have wanted to see them go to prison directly, but this should send a strong message that there are laws in place to protect animals.”