‘When he shot the three dogs I was scared; I saw that my death was also coming. One dog died in front of my eyes. The other two ran away into the bush, howling in pain and probably died there.
A heartbroken Klaas Goeieman (55), a Matlwang resident spoke these anguished words after a man, believed to be a ‘soldier’, killed his three speed hound Saluki dogs that accompanied him to fetch his cows that were grazing in the camp.
The Ikageng police confirmed the incident. Warrant Officer Ishmael Mohutsiwa says Goeieman alleges that, at about 12:30 on Sunday, he was herding his cows back to the kraal. He was chasing them out of the Eleazer road because a man on a scooter had come from behind.
The rider stopped next to him and insulted him, saying his cows were not allowed on the road. He then pulled out a pistol and shot the dogs. The victim begged him not to shoot them but the suspect allegedly pushed the pistol against his forehead and threatened to shoot him, too,’ reported Mohutsiwa. A case of cruelty to animals has been opened.
Klaas says there were six dogs with him but, after the incident, he picked up stones intending to throw them at the man with a pistol.
‘That must have disturbed him because he then escorted us out of the camp. He could have shot me because the two of us were in the middle of nowhere,’ he said.
Still shaken, Goeieman described the deafening sound of the pistol as the bullets pierced the dogs’ skin. ‘He was not wearing a uniform but he talked like a soldier and he had an SANDF badge on his scooter. I know him and have seen him on the army grounds many times,’ he said.
‘I am heartbroken. Why didn’t he rather arrest me and let me face a court of law if I was guilty?’
Klaas says this was not the first time they had taken the cows to graze on the army grounds.
‘We always go there on Sunday out of respect for the soldiers. We don’t want to disturb them during their training.’
