The Zimbabwean High Court has delivered a verdict that concludes one of the country’s most closely watched murder trials. Bridget Makaza has been found guilty of the cold-blooded and calculated murder of her husband, MaCloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga, the owner of the popular Kurai Coaches company, at their Harare matrimonial home in 2018.
High Court Judge Justice Emelia Muchawa ruled that Makaza acted with actual intent to kill when she committed the offence. The conviction brings an end to a long legal process, with Makaza now scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2025.
The Crime and the Cover-Up
The court heard a harrowing account of the events that transpired in the early hours of May 14, 2018.
- The Act: At approximately 3:00 AM, Makaza used a .38 Amadeo Rossi revolver with erased serial numbers to shoot her husband three times while he lay asleep. The bullets struck him on and around the shoulder, causing fatal injuries. A post-mortem examination confirmed that Mapanga died from traumatic shock, lung and liver ruptures, and shotgun injuries.
- The Alleged Robbery: Immediately following the murder, Makaza attempted a detailed cover-up. She alleged that armed intruders had broken into their Belvedere residence, shot her husband, and stolen US$12,000 from a wardrobe.
- Disposing of Evidence: Amid the panic she created, Makaza drove alone to a swampy area where she disposed of the murder weapon and a pair of latex gloves she had been wearing. She then proceeded to the Mabelreign Police Station to report the fabricated robbery.
The Unraveling Evidence
Police investigations quickly exposed the holes in her story. Investigators found no signs of forced entry at the matrimonial home. Crucially, forensic ballistic analysis linked the projectiles recovered from the deceased’s body to the very firearm Makaza had attempted to conceal.
The case against her was significantly solidified when both the revolver and the gloves were recovered based on her own indications to the police. The court was further informed that the weapon used in the murder was procured by Makaza during a trip to South Africa on May 2, 2018—less than two weeks before the killing.
Fleeing Justice
The legal process was complicated by Makaza’s attempt to evade justice. After being placed on remand and subsequently granted bail, she fled the country to the United Kingdom. Her time as a fugitive ended when she was re-arrested upon her return in December 2024, allowing the legal proceedings to reach their conclusion.
Justice Muchawa’s ruling confirms that the killing of MaCloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga was not an accident or the result of a struggle with intruders, but a deliberate and planned act carried out by his wife, Bridget Makaza.
