Police investigate suspected murder-suicide in Harare’s Glen View as similar incidents raise concerns
HARARE — Zimbabwe Republic Police are investigating the deaths of a couple found in their bedroom in Glen View 3 on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, with authorities pointing to a possible murder-suicide linked to marital problems.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the victims as Nyasha Mhungu, 35, and his wife Olga Muzhingi, 30. “They were found dead in their bedroom,” Nyathi said.
Police are examining reports of a marital dispute.
The woman’s brother, Nebert Muzhingi, told journalists the couple had been experiencing problems and had recently involved their families.
“On Monday, I was with them and everything was okay. Little did I know there would be another flare-up,” he said.
Reports indicated Mhungu worked as a local church leader and bouncer.
Some accounts noted the woman’s body was found naked while her husband’s was clothed, though official confirmation of the exact circumstances remained pending as investigators cordoned off the scene.
The Glen View case is the latest in a series of suspected murder-suicides in Zimbabwe in recent months, often tied to domestic disputes.
Less than two weeks earlier, on or around September 9, nurse Lyliosa Chirara, 43, allegedly hacked her husband, Martin Muduva, 42 — a Midlands State University lecturer and Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission commissioner — to death with an axe as he slept at their home in Dzivarasekwa Extension.
Chirara then took poison and died. A suicide note later discovered among her belongings while relatives packed for her burial described years of alleged torment, including claims that Muduva had not been intimate with her for years, controlled finances, and had secretly married another woman after a roora ceremony.
Chirara wrote that she had meant the marital vow “till death do us part” literally.
Police confirmed investigations into the murder and suicide but said they had not yet reviewed the reported note. The discovery of the note reportedly heightened tensions between the families.
In Gweru, police are probing another suspected murder-suicide involving a married couple whose bodies were found in separate locations on Tuesday (around September 22).
Definite Musomekwa was discovered lying about 1.5 metres behind the burnt shell of a Honda Fit along Fletcher Road near King Cobra Mine.
The vehicle had been borrowed by her husband, Nigel Mukoki, to attend a rural memorial service.
Later the same day, Mukoki was found dead, hanging from a tree.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the probe.
In mid-August 2026, a police officer was shot dead in a family dispute in Harare’s Southlea Park.
Sergeant Portia Dzanwa, 36, was killed by her husband, Pharaoh Dombodzvuku, 52, who then shot and injured himself.
The incident followed allegations that Dombodzvuku had sexually abused his stepdaughter; the couple had sought counselling from a relative.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the death and the suspect’s hospitalisation under guard.
Police have repeatedly urged the public to seek help from relatives, church elders, or authorities to resolve disputes peacefully rather than resort to violence.
Investigations into the latest Glen View deaths continue, with no further official details released on the cause or precise sequence of events as of Wednesday evening.