The increasing numbers of pit bull attacks in South Africa have raised major concerns, leading many to make strong calls for the ban of pit bulls in domestic ownership.
EFF also calls for the ban of domestic pet-ownership of all breeds of pit bulls in South Africa following the numerous pit bull attacks on children, which has recently seen the death of a 3-year-old child in Hennenman, Free State.
Other tragic cases involved the mauling of an 8-year-old boy in Vista Park, Free State, and that of a 10-year-old boy in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
In a statement shared, the EFF revealed that pit bulls are not suitable for domestic breeding because of their aggressive nature.
"It is telling that these pit bulls have a propensity to attack children and, in the case of Gqeberha, even attack a familiar person who was part of the family that owned the dogs.
“It has become patently clear that pit bulls are not suitable for domestic breeding, especially in conditions that may not be favourable to their existence, such as limited living space. They’re an aggressive breed which attack humans viciously, and this is exhibited by their tendency to attack the human neck, rendering their attacks fatal."
The party added that other countries had either banned or placed stringent conditions on the ownership of pit bulls due to the fact that they recognise that the breed cannot coexist with humans. This fact had become “increasingly clear in the recent spate of attacks in the country”.
"The ownership of pit bulls is often used as a deterrent to crime and home invasions, meaning they are deliberately bred to attack humans. The attack on children exposes how illogical it is to think that dogs can differentiate between which humans are a threat or not."
The EFF says outside of negative breeding habits, the dogs remained an aggressive breed, and their ownership must be prohibited, lest many communities lose loved ones to brutal attacks.
"The EFF encourages all pit bull owners to voluntarily hand over the dogs to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to avoid further attacks and retaliation by communities to pit bull attacks."
"The EFF will explore, through means of legislation, avenues to ensure that domestic pit bull ownership is prohibited in the country.
"There are many breeds of dogs that exist that can be kept and do not pose a risk to other human beings; pit bulls have proven not to be such a breed – not only in South Africa but in various nations across the world."