by CHARLLOTE MUTAMBARA
Mutare has launched an emergency mass dog vaccination campaign running from 2 to 5 September 2026, after confirming a rabies case in a dog from Linkview, Dangamvura.
The Health Department says the response is urgent because rabies carries a 100 percent fatality rate in both humans and animals once symptoms appear.
According to a public notice released by City of Mutare on 3 September 2026, vaccination teams will move across Dangamvura, Sakubva, Chikanga, Fern Valley, Hobhouse, Yeovil and other suburbs.
Venues include Beit Halls, clinics, shopping centres and schools.
Dog owners have been instructed to bring animals on a leash or in secure carriers. The Council is also reminding residents that vaccination and licensing are compulsory by law, and that dogs must be confined to their premises.
The notice warns that non-compliant owners face prosecution under the City’s Dog Licensing and Control By-laws. Residents are also urged to report dogs that are aggressive, drooling, or behaving strangely.
For inquiries, the City directed residents to the Department of Health Services, Environmental Health Section, on +263 2020 64412 and +263 775792461.
This campaign exposes two long-standing challenges in Zimbabwean urban health management: reactive disease control and weak enforcement of dog licensing.
First, the emergency drive shows how quickly diseases can force municipalities into crisis mode. One confirmed case in Linkview has triggered a city-wide operation. That is necessary, but it also highlights the need for routine, year-round vaccination instead of waiting for an outbreak.
Last year residents of Dangamvura faced another rabies case which left several people with injuries.
The campaign’s success will therefore depend on three things: community awareness beyond this notice, enough vaccines and staff to cover all listed venues on time, and follow-up enforcement after 5 September. Without that, Mutare risks another outbreak in 3 to 6 months when immunity from this round wanes.
For now, the message is clear: rabies kills, and the only protection is vaccination.
No litany of excuses! Get your dog vaccinated or face the wrath of the law.