Gweru Triple Murderer Peter Dube Sentenced To Two Life Sentences Plus 20 Years

Peter Dube will spend the rest of his life in prison. The Bulawayo High Court handed the Gweru triple murderer two life imprisonment terms plus an additional 20 years in prison on 26 November 2025. This monumental sentence concludes a harrowing case that began with a bloody night in April 2021 and spanned an international manhunt.

High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi found Dube fully responsible for the murders of Shelton Chiduku and Gamuchirai Madungwa and the attempted murders of Nyasha Nharingo and Nyaradzo Nharingo.

A Calculated Killer And A Complex Escape

After the shootings on 22 April 2021, Peter Dube did not remain in Zimbabwe. The court found that his escape was sophisticated and premeditated. According to the judgment, Dube fled Gweru on the night of the murders, crossing into South Africa before moving to Eswatini. There, he acquired a false identity which he used to fly to Ireland, where he lived for years. Justice Munamato Mutevedzi detailed the escape, stating:

“By his own admission, he escaped with the aid of his senior wife, Nomatter Chawana… acquired a pseudonym… and used it to fly to and settle in Ireland.”

The judge also expressed surprise that Chawana was never investigated for her role in facilitating his flight from justice. Dube’s run from the law ended when he was arrested in Ireland in June 2023 and deported back to Zimbabwe to face trial.

A Third Death And A Judge’s Scrutiny

The court found that on the night of 22 April 2021, Dube unleashed what the judge termed “unmitigated violence.” He shot and killed Shelton Chiduku and Gamuchirai Madungwa in a car park. He then stormed upstairs and shot sisters Nyasha Nharingo and Nyaradzo Nharingo. While Nyasha survived, her sister Nyaradzo later died from complications directly related to her gunshot wound.

This tragic outcome led to a major point of contention in the case. Despite Nyaradzo’s death, Dube was only formally charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. Justice Munamato Mutevedzi expressed deep disquiet over this prosecutorial decision. In his judgment, he pointedly asked:

“Why then that death was not added to the list of murders can only be explained by the prosecution.”

This omission meant that Dube was not held directly accountable in court for what many considered a third murder. The judge’s public questioning of the prosecution’s strategy highlighted a significant anomaly in a case already filled with harrowing details.

The Court Rejects The Insanity Defence

Throughout the trial, Dube maintained that he was suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy and had no memory of the shootings, claiming he was mentally incapacitated. This defence was completely rejected by the court. Justice Mutevedzi found the testimony of State psychiatrist Dr. Nemache Mawere to be decisive. The judgment cited Dr. Mawere’s assessment of Dube:

“The accused was simply play-acting… His gestures were not sequential… He was trying to run away from punishment.”

The judge concluded that Dube’s ability to orchestrate a complex international escape was entirely inconsistent with someone experiencing a severe mental disorder. This finding paved the way for his conviction and the subsequent heavy sentencing on 26 November 2025.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) confirmed the sentences for the two murders and two attempted murders.