Principal who ordered dog be buried alive, tries to duck sentence

THE SCHOOL caretakers who buried a dog alive in 2011 have done their time, but the Khayelitsha principal who made them do it has been dodging his sentence.

In June 2013, Manono Makhaphela was found guilty of ordering janitors, Poto Mfengu and Mkhumbuzi Ncedana to bury stray dog, Lily, alive in a 1.5m ditch.

The caretakers had previously been sentenced to, and had completed, 150 hours of community service at the Mdzananda Animal Clinic where Lily was rehabilitated after she was rescued barely alive from a shallow grave.

However, Makhaphela appeared in court last month for not complying with his original punishment: a fine and a rehabilitation programme.

Makhaphela, who is the principal at Luhlaza secondary school, was fined R6 000 and ordered to implement an education programme about how to treat pets at his school. Having only paid R1 000 of his fine, he was given until July 18 to settle the rest and implement the programme.

Marcelle du Plessis, spokeswoman for the animal clinic, said it hoped the principal would comply with the sentence asmany pupils would benefit from the programme.

“We will monitor and help him, but he has to (make the first) approach and we are now waiting to see if he will approach us or another organisation.”

The clinic approached the National Prosecuting Authority last year after Makhaphela failed to serve his punishment. “We were low on hope that anything would change. It was with great joy that we received a phone call early in 2015 with the news that the principal had been found, placed in jail for a day and was expected to appear in court.

“Makhaphela will need to send a progress report to the clinic every six months for five years based on the progress of his education programme.

“We will keep fighting for justice for Lily. This is not just about one dog but about setting a precedent for future animal cruelty cases.”

Lily was adopted three months after the court case by Helen Walne, a clinic board member and Cape Argus columnist, and is “full of life”, according to Du Plessis. – Yolisa Tswanya