A 50-year-old man from Vurayayi Village under Chief Nyamondo in Mberengwa has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison after being convicted of culpable homicide following a fatal dog attack on a young girl.
Nhamo Zhou appeared before Zvishavane magistrate Archie Wochiunga over the tragic incident, which occurred on October 20, 2025.
The court heard that on the day in question, the child was playing alone in her yard when Zhou’s unmuzzled female dog strayed onto the property and bit her above the left eye.
The victim’s mother managed to chase the dog away and discovered that her daughter had sustained a deep wound. Zhou’s wife was informed and offered to assist with medical expenses.
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However, on November 2, 2025, the child suddenly fell ill, vomiting and frothing at the mouth and nose. She was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
A post-mortem confirmed that she had died from acute cardiorespiratory failure caused by a rabies infection.
Investigations revealed that Zhou had failed to vaccinate the dog against rabies and could not produce a vaccination card, leading to his arrest.
In sentencing him to 30 months’ imprisonment, the magistrate said Zhou had acted negligently by failing to control and vaccinate his dog — negligence that resulted in a preventable death.
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