Luthweseni Njoba, 20, who says her life has changed for the worse since she was savagely mauled by a dog more than two weeks ago, has reported a criminal complaint against the animal’s owner.
Njoba, a grade 11 pupil, sustained serious injuries and has had to be readmitted to hospital after her wounds turned septic.
On Tuesday, she was preparing for a second operation at Life Beacon Bay Hospital.
The youngster, who was heavily bandaged, suffered head injuries in the attack and her knee was badly bitten.
She said she was struggling to walk and unable to stand for long because this caused her injured leg to swell.
The attack took place on August 21 in Dikeni (Alice), where Njoba lives.
She had been escorting two young children who had arrived at her home to fetch an assignment.
One of the children was chased and attacked by the dog, which Njoba claimed had jumped over the fence of its owner’s property.
When Njoba tried to fight the dog off, it attacked her.
The child suffered a head injury but has since been discharged from hospital.
Njoba said that during the attack she believed she would die.
“I was lying on the ground for a very long time. I couldn’t scream or fight. I gave up.”
During the ordeal, a passing driver hooted until someone in the dog’s household stepped in.
Njoba said the incident had traumatised her.
“I am afraid to go home because it will take me back to the day of the attack.
“I was discharged a week back, before being admitted again because my head wound was septic and all I could remember was the incident.”
She said the dog’s owner, a policewoman, had kept silent since the attack, though the owner has disputed this.
“The owner is saying nothing and shows no remorse,” Njoba said.
She reported a complaint to the Dikeni police on September 4 before she was readmitted to the hospital.
“My life has taken a turn I don’t know. I am delaying being back at school and I don’t know where to go from here.”
Njoba said she wanted justice to prevail.
“The owner of the dog needs to take responsibility. This is not the first incident involving that dog.
“One of my siblings’ children was attacked by that pit bull in 2023 and he still has scars, but we didn't take action.”
A community member, who did not want to be named, said people lived in fear of the dogs.
“The incident hurts us because people had been told to remove pit bulls from their homes.
“We live in danger. I told the owner that we were not feeling safe with the pit bull around.
“We want all the pit bulls to be removed because they cannot create a secure place for them so that we can also be safe.”
The dog’s owner said she knew about the attack but that her dog was a boerboel, not a pit bull.
“I have a dog but I don’t have a pit bull. I know that a dog jumped over the fence and attacked her.
“I am admitting she was attacked but I am not admitting that my dog is a pit bull.”
She said she had contacted Njoba’s family and tried to offer support.
“I was the one running up to her trying to assist because, at the end of the day, it is my dog.
“Ever since she was transferred I have been in contact with the family. Even before she went to East London I was at the hospital.
“I was told they were going to contact me when she came back from hospital and I didn’t want to seem pushy.”
Police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa confirmed that police were investigating the incident.
DispatchLIVE
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