Suspect Arrested in Mutangadura Murder Probe

Police in Zimbabwe have arrested 38-year-old Phillip Mutasa over the murder and robbery of Ruwa businessman Joseph “Mutangaz” Mutangadura, with seven suspects still on the run as CID Homicide intensifies its nationwide manhunt (image source)

A 38-year-old man, Phillip Mutasa, has been arrested in connection with the August 17 murder and robbery of Ruwa businessman Joseph “Mutangaz” Mutangadura, police confirmed — a breakthrough that follows months of investigation and opens a nationwide manhunt for seven alleged accomplices.

Detectives from CID Homicide Harare traced and arrested Mutasa in Mkoba 6, Gweru, on October 3 after receiving a public tip-off, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said in a statement. Mutasa allegedly confessed to taking part in the attack and named seven other suspects who remain at large.

According to the police narrative, a gang of masked robbers armed with pistols, hammers and crowbars stormed Mutangadura’s farmhouse and entertainment venue, Mutangadura Hideout, along Dunstan Road, Ruwa, around 11:15 p.m. on August 17. The attackers overpowered a security guard, tied him with shoelaces, and forced him into the house before breaking into the main bedroom. The businessman was shot in the stomach and later died at Eden Hospital in Windsor, Ruwa; his wife survived with injuries.

“ZRP has confirmed the arrest of Phillip Mutasa in connection with the robbery and murder of Joseph Mutangadura,” Commissioner Nyathi said in the statement announcing the arrest.

Mutasa appeared before Harare regional magistrate Sandra Mupindu, who advised him to apply for bail at the High Court. He was not asked to plead. The State alleges murder, armed robbery, and unlawful entry among the charges. Investigators say Mutasa guarded hostages during the raid and later ordered family members into the bedroom where Mutangadura lay mortally wounded.

Mutangadura, 67, was a well-known entrepreneur who ran Mutangaz Hideout, Mutangaz Panyama, and Lisheen Estate. His death in August shocked Ruwa’s business community and the wider Mashonaland East region. Family representatives welcomed the arrest as “a step toward closure,” while police urged the public to help identify and locate the remaining suspects.

Authorities credit intelligence-led policing and public tips for the breakthrough, reflecting sustained CID Homicide work since the August incident. The arrest highlights operational challenges for investigators — suspects dispersing across provinces, false identities, and the need to trace weapons and stolen property linking all parties involved.

Police say the nationwide manhunt for the seven named accomplices will continue, with further evidence expected in court as investigations progress. Observers say the case could test whether forensic evidence and recovered property can connect the suspects to other violent robberies in the region.