It was a bittersweet moment today in the Potchefstroom Magistrates Court in the North West for Dipuo Kokolosi, a 48-year-old domestic worker who was mauled by three pit bulls belonging to her employers in January 2020 as they came face-to-face in court.
Kokolosi, who has been out of work since the incident, expressed relief that the owners of the vicious dogs – Chandra van der Linde and her partner Marno Monster – had finally been brought to court to account for the multiple brutal attacks on her which left her face scared.
Van der Linde and Monster face charges of keeping vicious animals and if found guilty could be sentenced for up to two years in prison or given an option to pay a fine.
Kokolosi’s lawyer, Nape Masipa said he struggled to obtain police dockets to file a civil claim against the couple.
“Today, we’re here on a criminal case; I’m disappointed that it’s not even an attempted murder charge, but I’m preparing for a civil case now that I have all the evidence I needed from the police,” he explained.
The matter was postponed until August 1 for further investigations.
The Bloemhof mother has had to undergo several facial reconstruction surgeries and came to court with her face covered by a scarf. She recalled how the dogs entered into the Potchefstroom kitchen of her employer’s house where she was working and began attacking her, biting her all over her body and face. In the ordeal, Kokolosi lost an ear, her lips as well as parts of her nose, legs and thighs.
Kokolosi was saved by her employers’ neighbour who also took her to hospital and that was her last day at work and ever since, she has never been paid a salary including her January 2020 pay
“I looked at them, and they likewise stared at me without saying a word. I spent three years working for them, and I was surprised to notice the emptiness in their eyes even after they had seen how I looked,” Kokolosi said of her first encounter with her employers since she was mauled by their dogs.
