Cosatu’s national representative, Sizwe Pamla, said the dog breed should not be kept as a pet.
JOHANNESBURG – Trade union federation Cosatu has said it supports a petition to ban pit bulls after a three-year-old child was mauled to death in the Free State.
A child was attacked by two pit bulls while playing outside with friends over the weekend.
Cosatu’s national representative, Sizwe Pamla, said the dog breed should not be kept as a pet.
The trade union federation said South Africa should ban pit bulls as pets, as other countries have done.
Pamla said many lives have been lost in recent months following pit bull attacks.
He said the government should take immediate action.
“This issue becomes problematic, especially because domestic workers and other workers are most exposed to these dogs.”
A six-year-old girl was mauled to death by a pit bull in Atteridgeville earlier this year, and another three-year-old boy suffered the same fate in the Free State earlier this month.
In Cape Town, a 13-year-old boy is recovering in hospital after being attacked by a pit bull more than a week ago.
Cosatu said that as the SPCA National Council supported the call to ban pit bulls, the government should do the same.
