Patience Mangwiro, the woman at the centre of reports surrounding the death of Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Commissioner Dr Martin Muduva, has refused to d...
Patience Mangwiro, the woman at the centre of reports surrounding the death of Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Commissioner Dr Martin Muduva, has refused to discuss the tragedy, saying no comment could bring her husband back.
Mangwiro, who is understood to have been in a long-term relationship with Dr Muduva, spoke briefly when contacted yesterday but made it clear that she did not want to comment on the circumstances surrounding his death.
“Murikudei, ndati murikudei, will my comment bring back Martin? Come on, not everything is content,” she said.
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Dr Muduva, 42, died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals after sustaining serious head injuries during an incident at his Dzivarasekwa home on Wednesday.
His first wife, Lyliosa Chirara, 43, also died after allegedly ingesting poison shortly after the attack.
Police have confirmed that investigations are underway into the deaths.
Reports surrounding the incident have since placed Mangwiro at the centre of public speculation following claims that she and Dr Muduva had been in a relationship for several years.
It has also been reported that Dr Muduva had recently paid lobola for Mangwiro, although details surrounding the ceremony and the nature of their relationship have not been fully confirmed by police.
Mangwiro works at Midlands State University, where Dr Muduva was also associated with the institution as a lecturer.
The deaths have triggered widespread discussion, with photographs allegedly showing Dr Muduva and Mangwiro after a lobola ceremony circulating on social media.
However, the circumstances surrounding the photographs and whether they contributed to the events that followed remain part of speculation and have not been publicly confirmed by investigators.
Meanwhile, further details have emerged about the incident at the Muduva family home.
Chirara, who worked as a nurse and was reportedly based at Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre, is suspected of having attacked her husband before taking poison.
According to people familiar with the incident, residents initially believed that the house had been targeted by armed robbers after a member of the household raised an alarm during the night.
A community member said the maid reportedly left the house around midnight and sought help from a neighbouring property.
“One of our neighbours said the maid left the house at midnight and knocked at a nearby home, shouting for help,” the resident said.
The neighbour then reportedly alerted other residents through a community WhatsApp group.
Residents rushed to the property, where they discovered the seriousness of the situation.
“We had to break the locking system to gain entry into the bedroom. We rushed both of them to the clinic,” the resident said.
Dr Muduva was later transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where he died from his injuries.
Chirara was reportedly pronounced dead after ingesting poison.
There have also been claims that an axe and rat poison had been purchased before the incident, but these details have not been independently confirmed and remain subject to police investigations.
The deaths have left the couple’s children without their parents and have shocked residents who knew the family.
Neighbours described Dr Muduva and Chirara as good members of the community and said they had participated in local initiatives.
“Commissioner Muduva and his wife were good neighbours. They were supportive of the septic tanks project which is underway, and we have been robbed,” the community member said.
The tragedy has also created tension between the Muduva and Chirara families as they begin discussions over the couple’s burial arrangements.
The two families reportedly met for several hours but failed to reach an agreement after an exchange of harsh words.
They subsequently agreed to suspend the discussions and reconvene at a later stage.
Dr Muduva was appointed a commissioner of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission in December 2024.
He was also a technology specialist and academic, having lectured at Midlands State University and served on the Innovation Drive and Assessment Committee under the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
His death has been mourned by the ZHRC, Government officials, colleagues and members of the academic and technology communities.
As investigations continue, police are expected to establish the sequence of events that led to the deaths and determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack.
Mangwiro, meanwhile, has asked to be left out of the public discussion surrounding the tragedy as she mourns the death of Dr Muduva.
