'Byt hom!' Words that still haunt Mandla Dladla after he was set on by a dog, allegedly encouraged by its owner

“Byt hom [Bite him]!” are the traumatic words that still echo in Mandla Dladla's mind as he recalls how a dog on a leash was dragged out of a car by two white men and encouraged to attack him.

The 51-year-old recalled how his night at a pub in Doornpoort, northeast of Pretoria on August 28 last year, turned into what he believed was  a racially motivated attack. 

“I walked in there, we were having drinks and talking,” Dladla said. 

“I was about to pay. I usually hide money in the socks. I bent to take out the money from the socks and a person at the bar, who is also the culprit, said he will not take money that is smelling. I said how can it smell because it's from the socks ... it was a joke. Little did I know they were taking it personally,” Dladla said. 

He said within moments he was grabbed by a man and pulled outside. Even then, Dladla said, he did not think there was anything sinister, adding that he thought he was being called out for “a gentleman's conversation”.

“I actually followed thinking he wanted to show me a new car or something; or that he is selling something, because there are usually people who sell [outside]. I went out willingly. Outside, these two white guys [took a dog out of a car] and it attacked me,” he said.

Dladla said though restrained by one of the men, he tried to get free.

“I tried to fight but the other one grabbed me and the other one was saying 'Byt hom' [Bite him]. I tried to fight and scream,” he said.

It was at this moment that Dladla gave up the struggle as the dog bit his legs, hands and chest. 

“I gave up. I was held up. The dog bit me all over the body,” he said.

Dladla has scars on his legs and back. He said during the incident, he fell and injured his head and left hip. He has since undergone hip replacement.

He suspects that it was a racial attack.

“When the men went back [inside the pub], I tried to walk back in too but the door was closed. They allowed the two guys who were attacking me in and closed the door for me. They refused me entry,” he said.

At this point, he said he wanted to know what wrong he had done, but was refused entry.

“The barman was at the door refusing me entry and I called the police. When they arrived they were not even allowed to go in,” said Dladla.

He said after reluctance from police to assist, with some suggesting that he ask for compensation, he was able to open a case.

The matter is on the roll at the Pretoria North magistrate's court.

On Friday, Anton Niemann appeared on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Dladla said he was happy that the trial is starting to ensure that the culprit is brought to book.

In a short video seen by TimesLIVE, a white man can be seen pulling Dladla outside, where a dog follows.

Dladla said the video was just a snippet and there was more footage that shows what happened outside the pub when he got attacked.

“The footage is cut and paste, they didn't take the whole footage. I want him to learn a lesson — I was traumatised for a long time — he must go and sleep in jail so that he will tell others to never take others' human rights,” said Dladla.

The case has been postponed to May 3.

Dladla said the incident has taken a toll.

“When I see a dog, I feel like it's coming to attack me, it has really taken a toll on my health — I had to have a hip replacement. When I fell down, the joint shifted and I needed to have it replaced. At night I have to sleep in one position because of the injury. It's really traumatising,” he said.

“I am coming to court for the second time, the other time was during apartheid when we were fighting for freedom. But I am here now.

“I work with white people but now there is that hate in me. I have excellent neighbours who are white, which are the best white people I have seen, but there is still a component of white people that need to be assisted to say, let us treat black people as human beings.”

TimesLIVE

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