Dog death amid darkness

A Tibetan terrier was hit and killed by a car after running onto Boundary Road, in Honeydew, when a power failure caused a gate to malfunction.

The power failure occurred was caused by cable theft, which is an ongoing problem in Honeydew, Kya Sand, and surrounding areas.

Asam, the dog which was 10 or 11 years old, was owned by Andre Allemann, a Honeydew resident, who blames the power failure for his death.  “Otherwise the gate would have closed automatically,” said Allemann.

Asam was allegedly the only breeding male in South Africa of his breed and there are only about 40 Tibetan terriers in the country.

The dog was imported to South Africa when he was about five weeks old and was used for breeding. Allemann also claimed drivers speed on Boundary Road and after Asam’s death he has erected a sign next to the road, reading, SLOW THE F…. DOWN. Thanks for Killing our Dog YOU P…!

Cable theft has been an ongoing problem between Honeydew and Kya Sand according to Ward 114 Councillor Maureen Schneemann and Ward 96 Councillor Matome Mafokwane. “A huge area has been affected by cable theft,” Mafokwane said. He thinks cable theft is conducted by professionals because they use machinery and have “skills” and know where to cut the cables.

“They could be subcontractors or people who work for City Power who are unhappy with their jobs. They are definitely not random people on the street.”

He said millions of rands have been spent replacing stolen cables in the areas and the only way to solve the problem would be if the police and City Power became more involved and devised a strategy to combat the theft.

“The police are not catching anyone so this frustrates the economy. I ask how committed we are to solve this,” asked Mafokwane.

City Power spokesperson Sol Masolo was contacted but failed to respond by the time of going to print.

Details: City Power 011 375 5555, Ward 96 Councillor Matome Mafokwane 084 854 4950, Ward 114 Councillor Maureen Schneemann 083 297 1128.