Police probe widow in murder of Mutangadura

Police are intensifying investigations into the brutal murder of prominent Harare businessman Joseph Mutangadura, with his wife, Patience Dambudzo, now at the centre of scrutiny.

Mutangadura, who was buried over the weekend, was gunned down last week by seven masked assailants at his Lisheen Estate farmhouse in Ruwa. Strikingly, nothing valuable was taken from the property, raising suspicions that the incident may have been a calculated hit rather than a robbery gone wrong.

Investigators have since seized Dambudzo's cellphone for forensic analysis, fuelling speculation about possible insider involvement.

The couple's marriage had been rocky in recent years following allegations of infidelity that spilled into Harare's social circles. At the height of the scandal last year, Mutangadura was reported to have gone on a relentless pursuit of his wife's alleged lover, but no confrontation ever materialised. Although the businessman later moved out of their home in protest, the pair eventually reconciled, albeit amid lingering bitterness.

At the time of the murder, the couple was living together again, though relations were reportedly tense. Dambudzo was previously accused of having an affair with a public relations executive, an allegation she denied, and no evidence was ever produced to substantiate the claims.

Following the shooting, she was found unconscious at the scene and rushed to hospital, where she remains under medical care. Despite her condition, police sources confirmed she is still considered a key figure in the ongoing probe.

Meanwhile, a nationwide manhunt has been launched for the seven gunmen believed to have orchestrated the deadly attack. Investigators are working to piece together the sequence of events and establish a clear motive behind the killing.

National police spokespersons have urged the public to remain patient as detectives pursue leads in what has fast become one of the most high-profile murder cases in recent memory.