A Harare woman faces decades behind bars for the premeditated murder of her husband. Bridget Makaza, 50, has been sentenced to a 27-year prison term for the murder of MaCloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga, the esteemed businessman behind Kurai Coaches. The High Court found that the 2018 killing was not a crime of passion, but a coldly orchestrated execution carried out in the couple’s own home. Presiding Judge Justice Emilia Muchawa laid out a damning sequence of events, painting a picture of a murder long in the planning.
Justice Muchawa stated that the evidence left no room for doubt regarding Makaza’s intent.
“Our findings are that the accused person planned to execute the deceased,” the judge declared. “To set this in motion, she travelled to South Africa, soon after her return from the United Kingdom, to procure the murder weapon.”
The court heard how Makaza exploited international travel to source the weapon,
“She conveniently flew into South Africa and used the road back to smuggle the murder weapon into Zimbabwe.”
Having secured the illegal firearm, a .38 Amadeo Rossi revolver with its serial numbers erased, she then bided her time for the perfect moment to strike.
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A Staged Robbery and a Fatal Ambush
That moment came in the early hours of May 14, 2018. While Mr Mapanga slept soundly after returning from work around 11 pm, his wife allegedly aimed at the upper part of his body and delivered three fatal shots. The brutal attack saw one bullet strike his right shoulder, another hit above the left shoulder, and a third graze his neck before penetrating the right shoulder. Justice Muchawa described the immediate aftermath, noting a deliberate and callous cover-up.
“To cover up her crime, she staged an unlawful entry and robbery,” she said. “She shouted, ‘thief, thief’ (mbavha, mbavha). She left the deceased seriously injured, without rendering any assistance or calling the ambulance and slipped away in the ensuing confusion.”
The judge further dismantled Makaza’s initial story, which claimed that intruders had entered the home, shot her husband, and stolen a staggering US$12,000 (approx. R216,000) from a wardrobe. This account began to crumble when investigators found no signs of forced entry. Furthermore, Justice Muchawa revealed that Makaza’s priority was not to seek help, but to dispose of the evidence.
“She went alone, presumably to lodge a report, but, as confessed, her priority was to dispose of the firearm and related items, including the gloves which she had worn when shooting the deceased.”
The revolver and gloves were later recovered based on indications she herself provided to the police.
Harare Woman Gets Jailed For The Premeditated Murder Of Her Husband
The web of deceit continued to unravel as the investigation progressed. Forensic ballistic analysis confirmed that the projectiles recovered from Mr Mapanga’s body were a match for the very firearm Makaza had hidden. A post-mortem examination would later determine that the businessman died from traumatic shock, lung and liver ruptures, and the devastating shotgun injuries. The court also learned that after initially being placed on remand, Makaza was granted bail but subsequently fled to the United Kingdom.
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She remained at large for years until her re-arrest upon her return to Zimbabwe in December 2024, finally facing the consequences of her actions. In her defence, Makaza had claimed a long history of enduring emotional and physical abuse from her husband, detailing repeated assaults and psychological trauma. However, the court found the evidence for a premeditated, intentional murder to be overwhelming, leading to the lengthy jail term that will see her incarcerated for nearly three decades.
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The post Harare Woman Gets 27 Years In Jail For The Premeditated Murder Of Her Husband appeared first on iHarare News.
