Nurse found guilty of premeditated murder of husband

A Harare nurse, Bridget Makaza, has been found guilty by the High Court for deliberately shooting her husband three times as he slept in their Strathaven home, in what the presiding judge described as a calculated act fueled by jealousy and deceit.

Justice Emelia Muchawa, sitting with assessors Mhandu and Barwa, ruled that Makaza planned and executed the murder of her husband, Macloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga, in May 2018, and then staged a fake robbery to conceal the crime.

"The accused unlawfully and with intent to kill, executed her husband while he slept," Justice Muchawa 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."

Court records show that Makaza used a .38 Amadeo Rossi revolver with an erased serial number, which she had smuggled into Zimbabwe from South Africa under the pretext of buying medication.

On the night of May 14, 2018, Makaza allegedly waited for her husband to fall asleep before firing three bullets—two hitting his shoulders and one grazing his neck. She then screamed "Thief! Thief!", falsely claiming robbers had broken in and stolen US$12,000.

Prosecutor B. Murevanhema told the court, "There were no robbers. There was no break-in. The story was a fabrication to mask premeditated murder." Police investigations later revealed inconsistencies in her story, including the absence of forced entry and the recovery of the firearm, gloves, and other objects in a swampy area of Belvedere after Makaza led detectives to the site.

After initially filing a false report at Mabelreign Police Station, Makaza fled the country, remaining on the run until her re-arrest in December 2024, claiming she had returned because she "missed her children."

During the trial, Makaza claimed she acted in self-defence, alleging her husband had accused her of witchcraft and attempted to attack her with the same gun. She also claimed years of emotional and sexual abuse. However, the court dismissed her account as "lame and incredible," noting forensic evidence that a revolver requires deliberate trigger pressure and cannot fire accidentally.

While the court acknowledged that Mapanga had multiple wives and there may have been emotional tension, it found no credible proof of sustained physical abuse. Justice Muchawa concluded that Makaza procured the weapon in South Africa, smuggled it into Zimbabwe, and executed her husband while he slept, making the act a premeditated murder.

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

Makaza was found guilty of murder with actual intent, with sentencing expected to follow.