Graphic warning: The article below contains graphic details and may be disturbing or triggering for some individuals. Reader discretion is advised. In a terrifying incident that has left a Pietermaritzburg family traumatised, an Azalea grandmother rushed into a pack of attacking dogs and fought them off with her bare hands to save her five-year-old grandson, who is now recovering from life-threatening injuries.
Nokuzola Khumalo said she struggles to sleep at night, haunted by flashbacks of the horror on December 22, 2025 when little Thembelani Rhoyi was mauled and dragged by dogs while walking to a local clinic with his seven- and eight-year-old siblings. Their father was still at home, preparing to join them, when the older children ran back screaming that their brother was under attack. Khumalo rushed to the scene and found Thembelani on the ground, surrounded by the dogs.
Acting on instinct, she launched into a desperate struggle to pull him free. I don’t know where I got the courage from, but I kept fighting until they let him go. “Seeing my grandson being attacked haunts me and gives me sleepless nights,” Khumalo added.
Read Full Article on The Witness
[paywall]
The critically injured child was taken to Azalea Clinic, then transferred to Harry Gwala Regional Hospital, and later to Grey’s Hospital. He sustained severe head injuries, developed an infection, and suffered damage to his left eyelid, which doctors warned could result in a lazy eye. Thembelani continues to battle through trauma and recovery.
[/paywall]
