Jealousy Turns Deadly: Harare Nurse Convicted of Killing Her Husband While He Slept

“Planned Execution”: High Court Convicts Nurse of Killing Her Husband While He Slept

A Harare nurse’s plot to eliminate her husband and pass it off as a robbery has ended in a murder conviction, seven years after the shocking crime stunned the quiet suburb of Strathaven.

Bridget Makaza was found guilty of shooting her husband, Macloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga, three times as he slept, in what the High Court described as a “calculated act of vengeance fueled by jealousy and deceit.”

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A Marriage Marked by Turmoil

What began as a troubled marriage ended in tragedy. Court records revealed that Mapanga had several wives — reportedly as many as eight — a reality that his wife never accepted.

The strained relationship, the court heard, was riddled with jealousy, emotional manipulation, and accusations of infidelity.

But behind the facade of a loving nurse and mother, prosecutors said Makaza was plotting revenge.

She had secretly obtained a .38 Amadeo Rossi revolver with its serial number erased, smuggling it from South Africa under the pretense of seeking medication.

The Fatal Night

On May 14, 2018, Makaza waited until her husband was deep asleep before pulling the trigger — twice in the shoulders and once grazing his neck. Moments later, she screamed “Thief! Thief!” and claimed that robbers had broken in and stolen US$12,000.

However, investigators quickly dismantled the story.

“There were no robbers. There was no break-in. The story was a fabrication to mask premeditated murder,” said Prosecutor B. Murevanhema.

The police found no forced entry at the home. The firearm, gloves, and metal objects were later recovered from a swampy area in Belvedere, after Makaza led detectives to the spot.

The Cover-Up and Flight

After reporting the fake robbery at Mabelreign Police Station, Makaza was arrested and later granted bail. But she soon fled through South Africa, where she lived for years as a fugitive.

Her freedom ended in December 2024, when she returned to Zimbabwe and was re-arrested. She reportedly told investigators she came back because she “missed her children.”

The Courtroom Drama

During her trial, Makaza claimed she had acted in self-defence, insisting her husband had accused her of witchcraft and tried to attack her with the same firearm.

“The gun went off during a scuffle. I never intended to kill him,” she told the court, further alleging years of abuse and marital rape.

But Justice Emelia Muchawa, sitting with assessors Mhandu and Barwa, was not convinced.

“The accused unlawfully and with intent to kill, executed her husband while he slept,” she said. “She aimed at the upper part of his body and delivered three fatal shots on the shoulders and neck, then staged an armed robbery to cover her tracks.”

Forensics and Lies

A forensic expert, Admire Mutizwa, dismantled Makaza’s defence, telling the court, “A revolver requires deliberate trigger pressure. It cannot fire itself.”

Justice Muchawa agreed, calling Makaza’s testimony “a lame and incredible fabrication.”

“The accused lied to everyone, the police, the neighbours, and even the court. “She lived a lie from the night of the shooting until her arrest. Her story about robbers was a deliberate deceit to obstruct justice,” the judge remarked.

A Premeditated Killing

The court concluded that the murder was carefully planned and methodically executed.

“She was methodical. She retrieved the gun while her husband was asleep and fired at close range,” Justice Muchawa said. “Her conduct before, during, and after the murder shows beyond doubt that this was a planned execution.”