List of Fatal Dog Attacks in Zimbabwe

According to data by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), there were nearly 26,000 dog bites recorded across Zimbabwe between January and November 2024.

In a Weekly Disease Surveillance Report for the week ending January 5, 2025, a total of 635 dog bite cases were reported.

This page lists dog attacks in Zimbabwe that were fatal, starting with the most recent.

Pitbull Attack in New Bluffhill (June 2025)

On June 1, 2025, 39-year-old Samuel Machara was fatally mauled by pitbulls in New Bluffhill, Harare, leading to the arrest of the dogs' owner, 40-year-old Mike Mupinga, on charges of culpable homicide. Mupinga's dogs had been a longstanding menace to the community, roaming freely through gaps in his property's boundary wall and terrorizing residents for years. Neighbors reported previous incidents including attacks on domestic workers, children being chased, and the killing of local pets and livestock. Despite repeated complaints from residents and intervention by city authorities in 2024, the dangerous situation persisted until the fatal attack occurred near Mupinga's residence. Following Machara's death, the Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ZNSPCA) removed all dogs from the property—including pitbulls, a rottweiler, and a Hungarian mastiff—and humanely euthanized them. The ZNSPCA cited evidence of neglect, poor confinement, and inadequate socialization of the animals, while calling for stricter enforcement of animal control laws and custodial sentences for animal cruelty cases.

Pitbull Attack in Sunningdale (January 2025)

A man, Roddie Mannie, was mauled to death by his own Pitbulls at home. During the attack 3 neighbours intervened, beating the dogs with sticks, but they did not stop the attack.

Pitbull Attack in Whitecliffe, Harare (March 2023)

On 25 March 2023, a 9-year-old girl from Harare’s Whitecliffe settlement was attacked by a pitbull, which mauled her to death.

Pitbull Attack in Waterfalls, Harare (March 2023)

On 21 March 2023, 68-year-old security guard Takawira Gift Muzvidziwa was fatally attacked by four pit bulls at a business premises in Waterfalls along Sherwood Crescent.

Boerboel Attack in Norton (October 2022)

October 5, 2022, a 7-year old boy was attacked and mauled to death by a Boerboel after he entered the dog's yard to fetch water. The child had been sent by his grandmother. After realising the boy had not returned, the grandmother followed and found a Boerboel and a puppy licking the body of her grandchild. She chased them away. The owner of the dog, Cuthbert Mpame (63), and a worker responsible for the dogs, Lloyd Sibanda (35) were arrested and charged with culpable homicide. A Margistrate found them not guilty as their dog did not go out to attack the child, but the boy had, instead, broken into its territory before being fatally mauled.

2 Dog Attack in Goromonzi (October 2022)

A 6-year old girl, Nakai Ngosh, was mauled to death by two dogs while playing with her cousins. The girl went had gone to play at her uncle, Tobias Ngoshi’s homestead. The two dogs, whose breed was not disclosed, charged at the children, and attacked Nakai. The girl's two cousins tried to scare off the dogs, but failed and cried for help. A man employed by the dog's owner rushed to the place but failed to restrain the dogs. Nakai eventually died on the spot.

The owner of the dogs Justice Nyamutsamba, 40, was arrested and charged with culpable homicide.

Boerboel Attack in Matsheumhlophe Bulawayo (August 2022)

On 24 August 2022, a six-year old girl was mauled to death by 2 boerboels. The girl's family rented a cottage at a property where the owner also stayed in a main house and had the two dogs.

The attack happened at 7am when the the girl left the cottage going to the main house intending to check whether there was electricity. The owner of the house then heard her screaming and she looked out through the window and saw the two boerboel attacking the child.

Boerboel Attack in Selbourne Park, Bulawayo (May 2022)

In May 2022, a 61-year-old John Gavhera was fatally mauled by his own three Boer bull cross-breed dogs at his home in Selbourne Park, Bulawayo's low-density suburb. Gavhera had forgotten his gate keys at work, jumped over his own gate to enter his property and collect his toolbox from inside the house. The dogs, apparently mistaking their owner for an intruder, viciously attacked him in the yard while horrified neighbours watched helplessly through the precast wall, too afraid to intervene. Despite a neighbor hearing Gavhera initially rebuking the dogs, the animals continued their assault, biting him all over his body, dragging him, and tearing his clothes for approximately 40 minutes until police arrived to stop the attack. Gavhera was rushed to a medical facility but succumbed to his severe injuries that evening. His torn work suit, phone, and toolbox bag were scattered near the gate where the fatal encounter began.

Boerboel Attack in Beitbridge (March 2018)

On 21 March 2018, a 9 year-old girl was attacked and mauled to death by 2 boerboels in Beitbridge. She was coming from school at around 4PM. She was taken to Beitbridge District Hospital and was in the intensive care unit where she died the next morning. The matter was then reported to the police. The dogs had reportedly strayed from a house in the low density suburbs of Beitbridge. The owner of the dogs, called Mushonga, was arrested.

8-dog attack in Eastvale Masvingo (March 2016)

On 28 Feberuary 2016, 8 dogs attacked and mauled to death a four-year-old boy Success Kasanhayi in Masvingo’s Eastvale suburb. Another 10-year-old child was left for dead. Success was playing with four other children when the 8 dogs attacked, dragging him into a nearby bush and mauling him all over the body. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Two hours after the attack, the same dogs which were still roaming the streets, attacked a 10-year-old boy and left him badly injured.

Police arrested 2 dog owners Ahmad Amon (59) and Edward Murakatirwa (33), but said the dogs belonged to more than the two.

German Shepherd Attack in Masvingo (November 2014)

On 17 November 2014, a 6 year-old boy Praise Mavhiringidze was mauled to death by 7 German shepherd dogs which ate part of his body. The boy who was from Drewton Farm near Makoholi Research Station in the Mushagashe small-scale commercial farming area. Praise was on his way to school at around 6AM when he was attacked. He died on the spot and the dogs started eating him. The dogs eventually fled when people who came to the scene scared them away.