A 39-year-old man was mauled to death by dogs at an open ground in Kadoma, prompting police to warn owners to keep their animals securely under control.
The victim’s body was discovered at about 7pm on Saturday, 22 August, near Plot 104 in Sabonabona, Eiffel Flats. Police said the body was found at the scene with torn clothing and multiple dog-bite injuries. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and urged dog owners to secure their animals at all times and comply with local authority by-laws governing the keeping and control of dogs. Police have not publicly confirmed whether the animals were owned or stray, nor have they released details linking them to a particular breed.
The death is the latest in a series of fatal dog attacks reported across Zimbabwe in recent years. A 2025 review by The Herald identified nearly 10 deaths in major reported incidents over a five-year period, while cautioning that attacks in rural areas and on farms may go unreported.
Fatal dog attacks reported since 2020
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Year and date
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Location
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Reported victim and circumstances
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2020
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Harare
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Charles David, 51, was reportedly attacked by his employer’s pit bulls after opening a kennel to feed one dog and its two puppies. He died three days later at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
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May 2022
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Selborne Park, Bulawayo
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John Gavhera, 61, was fatally attacked by Boerboels after returning home and entering over a wall to retrieve a toolbox. He later died at United Bulawayo Hospital.
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August 2022
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Matsheumhlope, Bulawayo
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A six-year-old girl was reportedly killed by her landlord’s two Boerboels while going to the main house to check on an electricity outage.
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October 5, 2022
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Norton
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A seven-year-old boy was reportedly killed by a Boerboel after entering a property while carrying out an errand to fetch water for his grandmother.
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October 13, 2022
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Dongo village, Goromonzi
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A six-year-old girl was reportedly mauled to death by two Boerboels while playing with relatives during a visit to her uncle’s home.
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March 2023
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Waterfalls, Harare
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Security guard Takawira Gift Muzvidziwa, 68, was found with fatal injuries at business premises along Sherwood Crescent. Police suspected that four pit bulls had mauled him.
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March 25, 2023
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Whitecliff, Harare
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A nine-year-old girl died at Parirenyatwa Hospital after being attacked by a pit bull while passing a house.
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January 2024
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Sunningdale, Harare
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Roddie Mannie was reportedly mauled to death by his own pit bulls at home.
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June 1, 2025
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Harare
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Samuel Machara, 39, was reportedly mauled to death by pit bulls near the residence of Mike Mupinga.
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The cases span homes, workplaces, residential neighbourhoods and open areas. They also involve different circumstances: a dog owner entering a property unexpectedly, children entering or passing through premises, a security guard working at a business and, in the latest case, a body found in an open area. The recurring public-safety concern raised by police is not simply the breed of the animal, but whether dogs are properly confined and supervised.
The 2025 Harare case involving Machara drew particular public anger after residents reportedly alleged that the dogs had roamed freely through gaps in the property’s boundary wall and had previously attacked people, children, pets or livestock. Those accounts were reported as allegations by residents and should not be treated as findings of guilt. Police arrested the dogs’ owner, but the charge remained an allegation at the time of the reports.
Zimbabwe’s wider dog-bite burden is also significant. The Herald, citing Ministry of Health and Child Care figures, reported that the country records an average of between 20,000 and 26,000 dog-bite cases a year. The same report said 13,040 cases had been recorded between January and June 2025, with no deaths included in that cumulative surveillance figure. The figures concern reported dog bites generally and should not be confused with the number of fatal attacks.
The Ministry has also warned about the growth in the dog population and the number of animals roaming in disregard of municipal by-laws. In comments reported by The Herald, Dr Isaac Phiri, then acting director of Epidemiology and Disease Control, said the number of dogs had increased in towns and that more were being seen on the streets.
Legal responsibility may arise under several statutes and municipal rules rather than under one single national law dealing exclusively with dogs. The legal framework cited in the reporting includes the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Animal Health Act, the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and municipal dog-control by-laws. Police have previously warned that owners whose dogs injure or kill people may face criminal charges, including culpable homicide in fatal cases.
Analysts quoted in the review have called for stronger enforcement, compulsory licensing and microchipping, clearer rules for keeping powerful dogs in residential areas and third-party liability insurance for owners. These are policy proposals, not current nationwide requirements confirmed by the reports.
As the Kadoma investigation continues, police have not announced an arrest or charge in connection with the latest death. The victim’s identity and the status of the dogs had also not been released in the reports reviewed for this article.