‘Till death do us part’ — Wife’s chilling explanation after killing MSU lecturer

“Till death do us part” was the vow Lyliosa Chirara says she made to her husband, Midlands State University lecturer and Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission commissioner Martin Muduva, 42.

In a chilling suicide note allegedly left after she struck Muduva three times with an axe on the head as he slept before consuming rat poison, Chirara, 43, said she had meant exactly that when she promised their marriage would only end in death.

“As I had vowed to Martin that our union would only be ended by death, this is the death that I meant,” Chirara allegedly wrote.

Muduva, an engineer by training and a commissioner with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, died at Parirenyatwa Hospital on Wednesday morning after being attacked at the couple’s home in Dzivarasekwa Extension the previous night.

Chirara, a nurse, subsequently died after allegedly consuming rat poison.

The handwritten note, published by H-Metro, offers a disturbing account of what Chirara portrayed as years of marital unhappiness, rejection and betrayal. The contents have not been independently authenticated.

She alleged that Muduva had stopped having sex with her in 2022 after obtaining his PhD, claiming he had become ashamed of being married to a woman without a university education.

“From 2022 to 2025 he never entered our bedroom and he never had sex with me because he now had a PhD so his PhD did not want him to have sex with a woman who was not educated,” she allegedly wrote.

Chirara also accused Muduva of secretly marrying another woman, named in the note as Patience Mangwiro.

She alleged that she discovered the marriage after seeing a social media post about the couple’s roora ceremony.

“He went to secretly marry the woman, he went with his relatives and I only learnt about it when I saw it on a status she posted about the Roora Day,” she wrote.

Chirara said the alleged marriage came after years in which she had struggled to save her own marriage and establish herself financially.

She claimed Muduva had objected to her keeping 500 chickens at their home for an egg-production business, forcing her to sell them.

She also alleged that he had told her his earnings were his own business and that she had no right to know how much he made.

The note suggested that Chirara believed her husband had changed after obtaining his doctorate and becoming financially successful.

“I’m crying, I’m suffering, murume avekundisema, kundisvipira mate nhasi nekuti ave nemari, akanganwa kwatakabva,” she allegedly wrote.

The passage accuses Muduva of despising and looking down on her because he had money and had forgotten where they had come from.

Chirara then appeared to address Mangwiro directly.

“Now, let Patiece Mangwiro be happy because all she wanted was to destroy my marriage with Martin,” she wrote.

She also addressed her children, saying she had wanted to watch them grow but believed the stress she was experiencing would eventually kill her anyway.

“My kids, they don’t know anything, yes, I wanted to see them grow but I would still have died because of stress, sorry, I have failed,” she allegedly wrote.

Chirara apologised to her relatives and Muduva’s family, acknowledging the devastation caused by her actions.

“To my mothers, I know I have inflicted pain on you where it hurts the most but understand this letter, I have written it with tears streaming down my cheeks,” she wrote.

She ended with an appeal for her children to be looked after.

“Chisarai mugarike, please take care of my children,” she allegedly wrote. *_-ZimLive_*

9. *Duo in court over US$108,000 armed robbery*

Two Harare men, accused of carrying out a string of armed robberies, appeared in court facing three counts, including the theft of US$108,000 from a Ruwa company.

Tinei Makaripe, 47, and Pungurai Mukambachaza, 49, are accused of committing the robberies with accomplices who are still at large.

Makaripe, who was allegedly caught at the scene of the latest robbery after being struck by a brick while fleeing, limped his way into court, and ended up being carried into court by other suspects.

The State alleges that on September 13, the pair and their accomplices targeted Zhan Lingyue, a Chinese national, at Xinda Castings in Ruwa.

Armed with pistols, they allegedly scaled a precast wall before entering a changing room where they put on company work suits and helmets to disguise themselves as employees.

They allegedly intercepted two workers returning from the toilet and force-marched them to the offices.

Once inside, the gang allegedly confronted Lingyue and demanded cash before ransacking the office and stealing a satchel containing US$108,000.

As they fled, they allegedly used a metal ladder to scale the precast wall.

Workers who had been alerted gave chase and threw stones at the fleeing suspects.

Makaripe, who was allegedly running behind his accomplices, was struck by a brick and fell to the ground, allowing workers to apprehend him while the others escaped.

Police investigations subsequently led to Mukambachaza’s arrest and the recovery of US$4,900 from his home.

The State further alleges that the two were involved in an attempted robbery at Kurima Centre in Msasa the previous day.

On September 12, the gang allegedly arrived armed with a pistol, iron bars, machetes and a bolt cutter before scaling the perimeter wall.

Two security guards spotted them and fired warning shots, but the gang allegedly proceeded to break into several offices. They fled empty-handed after a Safeguard reaction team arrived.

Makaripe and Mukambachaza are also being linked to an armed robbery at Redan Service Station in Glen View on June 22. *_-H-Metro_*

10. *Harare woman bites husband’s testicles in domestic dispute*

Finally, we can show you the face of a Harare woman who is being accused of biting her husband’s testicles during a domestic dispute over a suspected extramarital affair.

While her shocking story has been trending around the country since last week, when the incident allegedly took place, her face remained hidden from the conversations.

Our senior photographer Lee Maidza tracked her down at court yesterday and, finally, we can show you the face of the woman who chose to inflict serious damage on her husband’s private parts.

Sharlene Rutendo Munenga, 29, has been further remanded in custody to September 16 for bail considerations.

She appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo after spending the weekend in custody following her arrest on allegations of physical abuse under the Domestic Violence Act.

Takudzwa Jambawo appeared for the State.

Sharlene is being accused of attacking her 33-year-old husband during a domestic dispute at their Dzivarasekwa 2 home on Wednesday last week.

The State alleges that at around 9.30am, Sharlene confronted her husband after suspecting that he was having an extramarital affair with another woman.

It is alleged that she questioned him over the suspected affair but was angered by his response.

During the ensuing altercation, Sharlene allegedly bit her husband on the testicle, leaving him badly injured.

He was subsequently admitted at hospital for treatment.

The State indicated that a medical affidavit will form part of its evidence against Sharlene.

She will remain in custody until next Wednesday, when the court is expected to consider her bail application. *_-H-Metro_*