Pitbull mauls Harare man to death, owner arrested

A pitbull has mauled a Harare man to death.

The tragic incident took place in the New Bluffhill area.

The victim is a man said to be in his 30s, who was a neighbour to the owner of the pitbull.

The incident was confirmed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), who said:

On 01/06/25, ZRP Mabelreign arrested Mike Mupinga (40) in connection with a case of culpable homicide which occurred at the suspect’s residence in Mabelreign. The case stems from an incident where his pit-bull dogs allegedly attacked and mauled Samuel Machara (39) to death on 01/06/25. The body of the victim was found near the suspect’s residence with dog bite wounds. The body was referred to the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals mortuary for postmortem”

The MP for Harare West, Joanah Mamombe earlier siad, “We have learnt with, sadness, the death of a #HarareWest constituency resident, after he was attacked by a Pitbull dog, that was roaming freely in the street.”

“The pitbull has a tendency of jumping the half durawall, and residents have raised concerns about it before,” a resident of the area said.

“Dog lovers, secure your monsters. Not with a wall like this,: said Simiso Mlevu on X. “We woke up to tragedy in our community. This dog killed a neighbour!”

The perimetre in question is a half-wall.

Former councilor for the area, Kudzai Kadzombe said, “Ì have called SPCA and they have taken 4 dogs from the property 2 pitbulls, 1 rottweiler and an Hungarian mastiff.”

Pitbulls are known for their aggressive nature. In the United states, they form six percent of the dog population but are responsible for 50% of serious dog bite incidents.

Mamombe has called for action, saying, “It’s time as the legislature, we pass Breed specific legislation which restricts & bans certain dog breeds.”