The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporters
Friends of Samantha Ruvimbo Dzapata (28), who was gunned down by her lover Tafadzwa Murengwa (29), also known as Boss Pangolin, yesterday took to social media to bring out the extent of the abuse she went through.
From the time news of the murder broke out last Friday, pictures of Dzapata trended on social media platforms that include Tiktok, Facebook and Twitter just to name a few.
Here, the images gave a glimpse into the abuse Dzapata endured at the hands of Murengwa and the good times the couple had.
In one of the pictures, posted by Tiktok user glendajuanita, Dzapata can be seen in happier times immaculately dressed in different outfits and at various locations including holiday resorts.
However, as the slide show continues, disturbing pictures show Samantha with a swollen face, a deep bloody cut on her right eyebrow and bloody lips.
In another picture, she had a black eye and bruised hands.
“May your dear soul rest in peace Sammie,” posted another Tiktoker ‘mamollita’ with the song Hatina Musha Panyika playing in the background.
Some Twitter users posted screenshots of WhatsApp messages between Dzapata and an unidentified colleague.
The two spoke about how Dzapata had taken a restraining order against Murengwa as a way of escaping the abuse.
They also highlighted a domestic violence case before the Harare Magistrates Courts.
In a tweet on July 29, user Caramel Muffet @mumucaramel7 posted: “Last week my friend was telling me about her friend Samantha who was beaten up by her fiancé with a car jag in the face.
“Man proceeds to buy her a car to say sorry and she refused it and refused to get back with him. Today he shot her dead.”
@mbusondebele5 posted: “May your beautiful soul rest in peace Samantha. A very soft and friendly person, caring, a lipstick and makeup enthusiast, and a rising social work career. All stolen from us, oh God? Thoughts and prayers to Cathy, Fadzi, family and close friends. Till we meet again RIP?”
Also commenting on Samantha’s murder, @QueenUnika said: “This is not a crime of passion, it’s a crime because of #Patriarchy. Why did this man feel that murdering #Samantha was ok?
“Why is it he couldn’t accept the decision that she had made to leave him? Because society has taught him that the only opinion that matters is his.”
Murengwa gunned down Dzapata on Friday morning along Simon Mazorodze Road after accusing her of infidelity.
He fled the crime scene and went on the run, then recorded an audio detailing why he committed the crime.
In the recording, he can be heard explaining how he hacked Dzapata’s cellphone and discovered she was talking to another man. He also spoke of how she broke up with him soon after their engagement.
“She said I don’t want to be with you anymore because of ABCD. She was angry the following morning. That’s when you called me asking why I had assaulted her. I took her for treatment at Borrowdale Medical Centre and paid over US$600,” Murengwa further said in the recording.
He also said after the assault, he gave Dzapata his car so she could use. Dzapata made an assault report five days later, according to the recording.
In the 14- minute recording, Murengwa also gives more details of what happened before and on the fateful day. He concludes by asking for forgiveness.
“I am sorry…. The Dzapata family please forgive me. I am sorry I was just emotional. Since we started having problems with Samantha, I have used up to US$3000 for damage control…”
On social media, police sent out an appeal saying they were looking for him.
Later Friday evening, police located Murengwa who had downed a concentrated liquid formulation of a poisonous insecticide to take away his life.
His body was discovered in Shawasha Hills around midnight crumpled in his vehicle before being rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he was pronounced dead.
In a statement police said: “Tafadzwa Russell Murengwa (29), who was wanted for the callous murder of Samantha Ruvimbo Dzapata (28) in Harare on July 29, 2022, committed suicide by drinking Dichlorvos 100 EC Insecticide
“The police recovered the Toyota Aqua vehicle, a 0,38 Webley Revolver loaded with four spent cartridges and one live round at the scene.
“The late Samantha Dzapata’s cellphone was recovered at Zindoga Shopping Centre, Waterfalls where the suspect had left it with a certain man.”
On Thursday, Murengwa caused a scene in central Harare after throwing wads of United States dollars at bystanders close to the former Ximex Mall area.
Reports say that Murengwa visited the area a short while after being granted bail at the Harare Magistrates Court where he was facing charges of assaulting the now deceased Dzapata.
He was facing charges of domestic violence and threats of violence but was released out of custody on bail.
In an interview, yesterday national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “We want to establish the origins of the gun and find out if he was the rightful owner of the revolver that was used for the murder.
“We will also want to establish the motives behind this callous murder.”
Murengwa is not new to controversy and derived the moniker ‘Boss Pangolin’ in response to a crime he committed in 2017. Murengwa and his three accomplices were arrested in Harare for attempting to sell a pangolin in contravention of the law on trade in endangered species.
