Bridget Makaza sentenced to 27 years in prison for the “cold-blooded and calculated” murder of her husband

High Court Justice Emilia Muchawa has sentenced Harare nurse Bridget Makaza to 27 years imprisonment for the deliberate killing of her husband, businessman MaCloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga, in May 2018. The judge characterised the crime as a “cold-blooded and calculated murder,” motivated by jealousy, polygamy and deceit, and rejected Makaza’s claims of accident or self-defence.

Bridget Makaza and MaCloud Mapanga: troubled marriage behind closed doors

MaCloud Zvavovaviri Mapanga was a well-known Zimbabwean businessman and director-owner of Kurai Coaches (also known as Kurai Bus Company), a bus transport firm operating in Zimbabwe. He lived with his wife, Bridget Makaza, in their marital home in the Strathaven / Belvedere area of Harare. Over time, reports and court filings suggested underlying marital discord: allegations of infidelity, accusations of witchcraft, jealousy, and contested claims of domestic abuse by Makaza.

Makaza was a registered nurse in Harare, with past ties to the UK. She had been involved in a Nursing and Midwifery Council matter in the UK linked to the murder allegations. In her defence she described years of abuse – physical assaults, emotional and psychological torment, forced intimacy (marital rape), and threats. She had children and later said that her return to Zimbabwe in late 2024 was driven by her longing to be with them.
While early media reports speculated on a love triangle, the court and prosecution focused primarily on domestic conflict and a pattern of jealousy and deceit as motive.

Bridget Makaza’s South Africa trip and the gun purchase

According to the prosecution, Makaza travelled to South Africa on 2 May 2018 under the pretext of buying medication. There, she obtained a .38 Amadeo Rossi revolver with its serial number erased, then smuggled it back into Zimbabwe. The court later found this action to be deliberate proof of premeditation.

In the early hours of 14 May 2018, around 3 a.m., while Mapanga slept, Makaza entered the bedroom and fired three shots; one to his right shoulder, one above his left shoulder, and one grazing his neck before re-entering the shoulder. She wore latex gloves, and the post-mortem confirmed he died from traumatic shock caused by ruptured lungs and liver.

The fake robbery and failed cover-up

Immediately after the shooting, Makaza allegedly attempted to stage a fake armed robbery. She shouted “thief, thief” to rouse neighbours and claimed that US$12,000 was stolen from a wardrobe. She made no attempt to render aid or summon medical assistance; instead, she abandoned her wounded husband. She then drove alone to a swampy area in Belvedere, where she disposed of the weapon and gloves. Afterwards, she passed through Mabelreign Police Station and lodged a complaint about the robbery—omitting any mention of the shooting at first.

But investigators found no sign of forced entry, no intruders, and dismissed her narrative. Ballistic testing matched the bullets recovered from Mapanga to the gun Makaza had bought and hidden. Under interrogation, she eventually confessed – though later alleged the admission was extracted under duress or torture, and directed police to the swamp where the revolver and gloves were recovered.

Makaza was arrested and placed on remand in 2018 and later granted bail. She fled Zimbabwe for the UK thereafter, remaining abroad until December 2024, when she voluntarily returned (reportedly missing her children). She was immediately re-arrested and trial proceedings resumed.

The trial and the judge’s ruling

The High Court trial this month tested Makaza’s defence arguments. She denied purchasing the gun and maintained the shooting was accidental, arising from a struggle. She claimed Mapanga had accused her of witchcraft, threatened her life, and that the gun discharged three times in self-defence. She also alleged coercion in her earlier confession. She presented her history of alleged abuse as context.

Justice Muchawa rejected these claims. In her judgment she said the evidence was “overwhelmingly” inconsistent with accident or self-defence. She described the scenario as “a calculated act of vengeance fuelled by jealousy, polygamy and deceit.” She noted that the revolver required deliberate trigger pressure, making accidental discharge highly implausible. The judge highlighted the staging of the armed robbery, the disposal of evidence, and the smuggling of the firearm as indicia of planning. “She waited for a convenient time,” the judge said. “Her conduct before, during, and after the murder shows beyond doubt that this was a planned execution.”

Under section 47(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], Makaza was convicted of murder. Justice Muchawa then sentenced her to 27 years in prison, emphasizing the severity of the premeditated nature of the offence.

Implications and reflections

This case has drawn attention in Zimbabwe to how claims of domestic violence are weighed in a murder trial, especially where the court finds strong evidence of planning. Makaza’s allegations of abuse and trauma were largely relegated in light of what the judge deemed incontrovertible proof of deliberate killing.

While Zimbabwe has recognised gender-based violence as a social concern, this verdict underscores the legal boundary between mitigating circumstances and calculated homicide. It may stir debate over how courts balance histories of abuse with forensic evidence of planning.

At the same time, the sentence sends a signal: murder (especially involving a weapon secretly procured and used under cover) will be met with heavy penalty. The public will no doubt watch to see whether Makaza seeks appeal, and how this case might influence future prosecutions involving contested claims of abuse.