Now, the story we're turning to is a horrific one, and I do just want to warn people that involves the killing of a young child and dogs, a pack of dogs responsible for that. So if you are either not able to listen to something like that, or perhaps you've got some young people with you and you want to just turn it down for a bit over the next four or five minutes, that's what we're going to
be talking about, So do bear that in mind. At twenty four minutes past three o'clock, let's welcome to our studio. Tubby s Gorba, another of our EWN colleagues. Tubby saw a terrible tragedy out in an informal settlement in the Marathon informal settlement. It's in Germiston and a young girl sub gonke Hoe sign and our deep condolences guard to all of her family, everyone who knew her, and anybody else who I'm sure could have been traumatized by what happened.
But you've been out there today, what have you seen, what have you heard, and maybe just feeling for people what happened.
Good afternoon, John, As you said, it's an awful, awful story. So this incidents happened on Friday. Sibongawong, who's a three year old child, was just walking through the marathon in former sessiment on Friday afternoon. It's located in Jermeston when
she was attacked by a pack of dogs. Now, obviously I won't go into much details, but the eyewitnesses we spoke to said, you know, when they found her, they found out while the dogs were still attacking her, and when they found her, you know, it was very very it was very bad. A sixty five year old man said, you know, he was one of the first people to actually be on the scene and he said, you know, he's never seen anything like that, and unfortunately she died.
She died while on their way to the hospital. Now, we were they We were there today to just speak to families and just get what is happening. What we do know is that the area the marathon informal sessiment, there's a number of domesticated and also a number of straight dogs. And this is not a pit bull, because I know obviously people maybe my suspects it's a pitbull. But what we've heard from the community members and from the eyewitnesses is that this was a mixed bridge dog
that was brown in color. They believed, you know, they call them like it's your normal dogs as you see in every township and every informal settiment. But the community has been shook by this, John and obviously they're now calling for the SPCA to just remove all the dogs in the area, saying that, you know, there's a lot
of people in the area who keep these dogs. But unfortunately, because it's an informal sestiment and because obviously these are people who are working class in poor, they don't have enough money to actually afford these dogs. And this is a result we've heard. We also heard from the community that this is not the first time a child has been attacked. Fortunately, in the other two incidents the children survived, but unfortunately for Sibonga Gonge hoy Saana she didn't.
So Toby, so you you you mentioned at the beginning of your auntswer there are both straight dogs and dogs that are have someone who will say, no, that's my dog. Do we know where these straight dogs were? Was it a mix the pack of dogs? In other words, I'm wondering if anyone can be held accountable for what happened.
So there was a gentleman. The community believed that the dogs belonged to the gentlemen ran away from the community. Obviously after the incident, his shack was burned down and everything sort of scattered around. So that's what we know. And it was interesting, John that when we were there on the we were there today on the scene, we did actually see some dogs. Some dogs even the community believes that are still we're even parts of the attack.
And because it's an informal sentiment that just those areas where only dogs can get to, where maybe people can't actually get to.
So that's that's where we are at Tobisa. There's a family that's grieving. What can you tell us about them? Who's in the family and and and how they're responding to something that that must have turned them inside out?
I mean, John, So it's a mother. It's a mother. Cebungaonke lived with her mother and older brother. And what we do know is that the mother is in a terrible state. Today she has to go identify Sybunga Wonke and we were told that she fainted and after that, you know, she just couldn't do anything. She's been lying
in bed and she's been resting. Hopefully she's gonna feel a bit better in terms of in terms of the child John, she's been described, you know, as a sweet child, and I think it was sort of heartbreaking when the family spokesperson said this is a childhood she liked playing with dogs. She was a quiet, shy child, but when she saw those puppies, when she saw dogs, she liked
rubbing them, and her face would actually lights up. And to think that those same dogs that actually brought her joy that actually killed her is you know, it's very heartbreaking. So in the moment, you know, the community is giving the mother all the help she can get. We do understand that the father is not in the picture and that it was just the mother and her two children.
Heartbreaking stuff. Thank you Tobby so Gooba with his report on what he engaged with and saw and heard out of the marathon informal settlement in Germiston, A story of great tragedy. Coming up on the show a little bit later, we'll talk to Cora Bailey. She is founder of an organization called CLAW, which stands for Community Led Animal Welfare.
They've looked at situations where you do in a community have a mix of dogs some of them who are have owners but may not be getting the attention they need. And then where there's stray dogs in the mix as well. Coral Bailey with us at ten minutes to four still to come on the show as well. We're going to get a sports update with Toler Kell and Ganga. Lots to talk about their Stephen crutis joining us after four o'clock with the very latest business news. Right now, it's half past three