He served on the High Courts of Zimbabwe and Namibia and was the chairperson of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission.
[3] From 1979 on he worked as a lawyer in independent Zimbabwe until 1986 when he was appointed a High Court Judge.
[5] He was appointed chairman of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission on 31 March 2010, despite being a controversial figure in Zimbabwe.
Mutambanengwe was a key figure in the Nhari rebellion in 1974, known for his outspokenness and independent judgements on various courts.
Mutambanengwe gave his declining health as reason for this move while Zimbabwean independent media speculate that he was deliberately pushed out.