Story by Peter Chivhima
THE Nyabira community in Mashonaland West province was left shell-shocked this Tuesday after a 13-year-old Grade Seven pupil was fatally mauled by six stray dogs, just moments after completing her public examination paper.
The owner of the dogs, Gift Jambaya, has since been arrested.
The pain of losing a child is unbearable.
It is even more devastating if one loses life the way a 13-year-old Caroline Chari met her fate.
The images of the scene are deeply distressing, as the young girl was mauled so severely that only bones were left.
“It is so painful to lose such a bright future in this way. She had big dreams to become a doctor, and I was also looking forward to her success. She was disciplined, focused, and always among the top in her class. As a family, we had placed all our hopes in her; she was our shining star. Now everything feels empty, like a dream has been stolen from us,” Caroline’s mother, Mrs Sally Tivaringe, said.
“I spoke to her a few days ago, and she said she was coming soon after completing her public examinations on Monday. It is painful, and if I see the owner of the dogs, I might do something. She was so full of life now that all that is left are memories and unanswered questions,” Caroline’s aunt said.
The pain is also too much for the community to bear.
“It is so painful. We are still in shock. She was just a child, coming from school. No one deserves to die like that,” a resident said.
“This has really hurt us as a community. It is painful because she had a bright future ahead. Those dogs should not have been left loose,” a neighbour said.
“We are heartbroken. It is too painful to even talk about. She was about to finish her exams, and now she is gone just like that,” a community member said.
“This is not good because the owner of these dogs was heard saying that he is above the law,” another resident said.
Amid the devastation in the community, the ZBC News crew spoke to Mashonaland West Provincial Veterinary Director, Dr Thokozani Mswela, about the law on keeping dogs
“When it comes to the keeping of dogs, the premises are supposed to be well secured so that dogs can not stray around. If the owners want to move with the dogs. They must be on a leash for easy control. Rabies, as a zonotic disease, requires that dogs be vaccinated against rabies at three months of age, followed by a booster at one year of age, then annually until they die, and we issue a rabies certificate,” she said.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has confirmed the arrest of the suspected owner of the dogs, Gift Jambaya.
As the ZBC News crew left the scene, some of the dogs were still seen roaming freely around the area, posing a danger to the grieving community members.
The latest incident comes after a man was fatally mauled by a Pitbull in Bluffhill, Harare, in June this year.
