Free State ANCYL to discipline branch calling for 'one pit bull, one bullet'

Posters inflame tensions in Welkom and surrounds

24 November 2022 - 16:11
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The ANCYL in the Free State has distanced itself from a branch's call to kill the dogs. Stock photo.
The ANCYL in the Free State has distanced itself from a branch's call to kill the dogs. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/alekta

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Free State on Thursday said they were disciplining members from their Pando Tladi branch over posters calling for communities to “find creative ways of eliminating these dogs”. 

A poster on social media calls for pit bulls to be killed if owners don't surrender them to the SPCA.
A poster on social media calls for pit bulls to be killed if owners don't surrender them to the SPCA.
Image: ANCYL Pando Tladi branch

“The ANCYL does not support the killing of animals or any violence,” said regional spokesperson Ayanda Madona. 

He added that the message in the poster was dangerous considering cases of children being killed by pit bulls were increasing.

Two children were mauled to death in the province over the past week, while another was killed in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday evening. 

The move by the Pando Tladi branch went against what the region agreed on in response to the death of three-year-old Keketso Saule.

“We are the superstructure and what we say goes,” said Madona.

“Our only message to the community is that they hand over dogs that they are unable to take care of because they are a threat to society. We will work with the SPCA as far as these processes are concerned.” 

The NSPCA is delivering an emergency service to households unable to care for their pit bulls after the spate of attacks and complaints against the breed. As a result, a number of dogs have been surrendered to the organisation. Spokesperson Keshvi Nair reiterated that pit bull owners were not being forced to give up their dogs, especially if they were able to care for them. 

The ANCYL supported the call for the breed to be banned.

“These unfortunate events are a clear indication that these breeds are not meant to live with humans. However, to force people to hand over their dogs or else we kill them is incorrect.” 

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