Peter Dube, a Zimbabwean businessman and murder suspect, has been convicted on two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder by the High Court in Zimbabwe. The judgment was recently handed down after his high-profile trial concluded.
Dube was found guilty of fatally shooting two people and attempting to murder two others in Gweru, Zimbabwe, in April 2021. The incident was reportedly a crime of passion, stemming from a love triangle involving his second wife.
The deceased were his second wife’s alleged lover, Shelton Chiduku, and her best friend, Gamuchirai Mudungwe. His wife, Nyasha Nharingo, and her sister, Nyaradzo, survived the shooting with injuries.
Dube fled Zimbabwe after the shooting, traveling through South Africa, Eswatini, and eventually to Ireland, where he sought asylum under a fake identity. He was arrested in Ireland for immigration violations and later deported to Mozambique, after claiming to be a citizen of that country using forged documents. He was eventually arrested by Zimbabwean authorities upon his arrival from Mozambique in April 2024 and brought to trial.
His trial faced initial delays, including a claim of mental instability which was dismissed after a psychiatric evaluation confirmed he was fit to stand trial.
During the trial, Justice Mutevedzi raised concerns about the prosecution’s handling of the case. The judge found it “unsettling” that the prosecution failed to add another murder charge after Nyaradzo later died from her wounds. Furthermore, the judge highlighted the role of Dube’s senior wife, Nomatter Chiwawa, in allegedly “aiding his escape after the killings.”
Timeline of the case
- April 2021: Peter Dube allegedly commits the crimes in Gweru, Zimbabwe, fatally shooting two people and injuring two others in a suspected crime of passion. He flees the country immediately after the incident.
- April 2024: After nearly three years on the run, Dube is arrested and extradited back to Zimbabwe from Mozambique, where he had been deported from Ireland after attempting to claim asylum under a false identity.
- September 2024: Dube’s trial faces a delay as he claims mental instability. A psychiatric evaluation is ordered by the National Prosecution Authority.
- Late September 2024: The psychiatric evaluation concludes that Dube is mentally fit to stand trial, and his case is ready to proceed to the High Court.
- July 2025: The trial is set to formally begin at the High Court in Bulawayo.
- August 2025: The high-profile trial concludes, and judgment is reserved, expected in the coming weeks.
- November 14, 2025: Peter Dube is convicted on two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder by the High Court in Bulawayo.
