Residents of Kwa-Thema, south-west of Springs in Ekurhuleni, are reeling with shock and fear after a dog feasted on a human hand still attached to an arm.

The dog was seen in the morning carrying the remains he had retrieved from a nearby water ditch covered by long reeds.

The concerned residents searched for the rest of the body and cleared the ditch while waiting for the K9 Search and Rescue Unit.

A body of a man in his early 20s was found under the long reeds in the evening by the members of the unit.

Kwa-Thema police spokesperson Sergeant Nkululeko Magudulela says the decomposition of the body was accelerated by the water in the ditch.

“The deceased is not yet identified, and we are calling on anyone with a missing family member to come forward,” he adds.

The police have opened an inquest into the death, and investigations are underway.

A witness, Banzi Vilakazi, says he was called by his friends, who know he loves dogs, to help stop the dog from eating the rest of the hand.

“I found the dog eating the fingers, and I was able to negotiate with it and remove it from its grasp. I then took it outside the owner’s gate, away from the dog’s reach,” he explains.

The dog’s owner, Mathew Ntimbane, says his dog broke off its leash to find food and returned with a human limb.

“I am happy that the body was finally recovered and my dog found it. I’m hoping he (the deceased) will be identified by his family.

“This was a traumatic experience for me and the community. We now fear for our safety because we live close to the ditch,” he says.