Crimes of passion rock Zimbabwe

They bask in the glory of riches and fame, but it is love which often becomes their downfall.

From hero to zero, most celebrities, rich business, and powerful politicians successfully ride the tide but usually fall to the sword of love, often moving from glory to gory.

Irvine Mereki, a Harare businessman is the latest victim of "dying for the one you love mantra," as Bruno Mars puts it in the hit-song, Grenade.

"Listen babe, I would go through all this pain. Take a bullet straight through my brain, yes, I would die for ya, baby but you won't do the same.

"If my body was on fire, ooh, you would watch me burn down in flames, you said you loved me, you're a liar cause you never ever, ever did, baby" so sings the American musician in the hit track.

Although it is not clear as to what caused Mereki to pull the trigger on his girlfriend last week, information from close family members points to a fight for "his heart" and the protection of the sexual interests from external intrusion.

The famed car dealer, whose rise to popularity is pinned on the economic calamity Zimbabwe experienced in 2008 to 2009, will be erased from society just for a girlfriend.

The suspected grisly murder-suicide by former official of Lengthens Football Club, has opened up discussion on the social networks on whether it is noble to die for the one you love.

There are many theories coming over the Mereki tragedy.

From news doing the rounds, Mereki shot his girlfriend after going through her mobile phone which contained an SMS of appreciation from another boyfriend.

Others rumours say, the woman had decided to move on with her life, a decision which drew anger from the boyfriend.

The girlfriend has been, an affable girl who ran a boutique in the central business district of Harare.
The bodies of the two love birds were found lying prostate on their bedroom floor, with gunshot wounds in their heads prior to the tragedy.

It seems crimes of passion are now becoming more rampant-in Zimbabwe, especially with the rise of HIV and Aids as well as technology.

According to statistics released last year by Isabel Sergio, the head of police victim friendly unit, in 2012, over 9 500 cases of domestic violence were reported to the police, a massive increase from the 8 296 recorded in the previous year, and in most of the cases, deaths were recorded.

"Murders as a result of domestic violence also continue to rise," she said.

Mereki's case is not isolated as many people from politicians, broadcasters to business people, have all fallen victims of love scandals."

One such simple example is popular disk jockey, Munya Milimo now being accused of murdering a Harare man who allegedly had an extra marital affair with his wife.

A 32-year-old radio and club DJ, Milimo's swag - a mix of genius and ego - has led to his destruction-all in the battle for the heart.

He is currently out on bail, facing kidnapping and murder charges after he was arrested following the disappearance and subsequent death of Ortneal Tinashe Magorimbo, whom he accused of having an affair with his wife.

Politicians such as the late Learnmore Jongwe, carry typical rags to riches stories, to an appalling demise of a legend in the Samson-Delilah warfare.

Coming from a humble background, Jongwe - through grit, intelligence, and ambition - rose to become a high profile politician, who many believed had the qualities of one day being a future presidential contender.
But he lost it all in the heat of the moment.

At 28, Jongwe who was the first spokesperson for the Movement for Democratic Change party and Member of Parliament for Kuwadzana had leaped to greater heights.

But, the honeymoon was short-lived following his arrest and incarceration in July 2002 on allegations of murdering his wife Rutendo Muusha, after accusing her of infidelity.

In 2011, Justin Chiota - founder president of the Zimbabwe People's Party (ZPP), allegedly killed his wife before committing suicide.

Stories of "sins of love" could be incomplete without mentioning former wrestler and actor Oliver Tengende, who once faced allegations of killing his wife after dying in a suspected poisoning case.

Tengende later committed suicide in the middle of the night at a church in Mufakose minutes after gunning down his late girlfriend's relatives.

Just across the Limpopo River, popular paralympic, Oscar Pistorius grabbed world headlines, after he allegedly shot to death his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, on the eve of Valentine's Day - all in the name of love.