Shock over mutilation of show horse
What was meant to be a routine feed turned into a gruesome discovery for veteran SA showjumper Enos Mafokate.
|||Johannesburg - What was meant to be a routine feeding time for several of his horses on Wednesday morning turned into a gruesome discovery for veteran South African showjumper Enos Mafokate.
Mafokate, who is the father of kwaito star Arthur Mafokate and the first black showjumper to ride in an international competition during the apartheid era, told of how he arrived at his equestrian club in Rockville, Soweto, to find one of his ponies mutilated.
According to Mafokate, he suspects the incident took place overnight while his security guard sat inside his booth while guarding the club’s main entrance.
“We arrived in the morning as usual to feed the horses. During our preparations, we noticed that my pony Mmabatho was missing,” said Mafokate, adding that he immediately thought the pony had wandered off as usual, and searched for it along the paddocks.
Minutes later, he spotted it lying on the floor in another paddock it shared with other horses.
The four-year-old pony was dead, with its intestines hanging out.
“I’m upset. I don’t know who would do this to a harmless animal. People are so cruel,” Mafokate said.
He explained that earlier this week, his staff had informed him about three men they had seen jumping a fence at the club. They ran away when they were spotted.
He added he had no doubt the attack was related to witchcraft.
“It seems the purpose was to drain out her intestines for whatever they needed. Her scars show that she was tortured and struggled. She died a painful death,” he said.
The pony, which Mafokate bought last year, was used to train youngsters who aspire to ride professionally.
Omphile Mashile, 10, and her brother Junior Mashile, 8, said they were devastated.
“I’m scared. I never thought they would kill her,” Omphile said while her brother sobbed.
Mafokate said he went to Moroka police station to report the matter but was initially told by police they could not open a case concerning a “dead animal” and instead had to report it to the SPCA.
It is only after he demanded to speak to the station commander that a case of animal cruelty was opened.
Booysens SPCA senior inspector Ronald Ramalata assessed the pony. “At this stage, we can’t confirm what the motive behind the killing was, but the horse was brutally attacked. We make a humble plea to the community to treat animals with respect,” he said.
Mafokate said he needed support from the community and not to be targeted.
noni.mokati@inl.co.za
The Star