A Zimbabwean woman, Bridget Makaza, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for the premeditated murder of her husband, MaCloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga, the founder of Kurai Coaches.
The High Court ruled that the 2018 killing was not a crime of passion but a carefully planned execution carried out in the couple’s home.
Delivering the verdict, Justice Emilia Muchawa said the evidence overwhelmingly proved that Makaza had planned her husband’s death.
“Our findings are that the accused person deliberately plotted to kill the deceased,” the judge stated. “To set her plan in motion, she travelled to South Africa shortly after returning from the United Kingdom to procure the murder weapon.”
According to the court, Makaza used her international trips to smuggle a firearm — a .38 Amadeo Rossi revolver with erased serial numbers — into Zimbabwe.
The fatal shooting occurred in the early hours of May 14, 2018, when Mapanga, who had returned home late from work, was attacked in his sleep. He was shot three times — once in the right shoulder, once above the left shoulder, and once grazing his neck before penetrating the right shoulder.
Justice Muchawa revealed that Makaza staged a fake robbery to cover up her crime.
“She created the illusion of a break-in, shouting ‘thief, thief!’ (‘mbavha, mbavha’) while leaving her husband bleeding without offering any help,” the judge said. “She then slipped away in the confusion that followed.”
Makaza initially claimed that armed robbers had invaded their home, shot her husband, and stolen US$12,000, but investigators found no evidence of forced entry. Her story quickly fell apart.
The judge further noted that Makaza’s real motive after the murder was to destroy evidence.
“She went out alone under the pretense of filing a report, but her true aim was to dispose of the firearm and gloves she used during the killing,” Justice Muchawa added.
Police later recovered the weapon and gloves based on information Makaza provided during interrogation. Forensic analysis confirmed that the bullets retrieved from Mapanga’s body matched the recovered gun.
A post-mortem revealed that Mapanga died from traumatic shock, ruptured lungs and liver, and multiple gunshot wounds.
After being initially charged, Makaza was granted bail but fled to the United Kingdom, where she stayed for several years. She was rearrested in December 2024 upon returning to Zimbabwe.
In her defence, Makaza claimed that she had endured years of physical and emotional abuse, but the court dismissed the claim, ruling that the murder was clearly premeditated.
Describing the killing as a “cold, deliberate, and callous act,” Justice Muchawa sentenced Makaza to 27 years imprisonment, emphasizing that the punishment reflects both the seriousness of the crime and the betrayal of trust within the marriage.
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