Former ANC mayor’s pit bull gores two-year-old to death

A two-year-old girl that was killed by a pit bull terrier will be buried on Friday morning at the Lewende Woord Kerk in Faan Ferreiralaan in Bloemfontein, according to the Bloemfontein Courant.

Former mayor of Mangaung Papi Mokoena’s seven-month-old dog mauled the two-year-old, Leah Smartryk, who allegedly peeped over the wall, before the dog apparently grabbed her and pulled her over it.

OFM News visited the house where the incident took place and spoke to the grandmother, Amelia Steyn.

She told OFM News it was almost as if this was meant to happen.

According to Steyn, Leah was playing outside. When her mother went looking for her she could not find her. Steyn told OFM News something told Leah’s mother to run to the corner and look over the wall. She saw the body of her little girl lying lifeless on the ground.

Steyn explains that the pit bulls in the cage stood watching as if they were ashamed. The mother fearlessly jumped over the wall to fetch the lifeless body of her kid.

Steyn told OFM News she did not want to seek revenge. She just wanted Leah’s name to be honoured. The grandmother would remember Leah as a busy little girl who lived life to the fullest.

Some family members do, however, want to decide about what further steps to take once Leah has been laid to rest.