Small-house demands US$15 000 from lover’s widow

THE woman at the centre of the unfolding real life drama surrounding well-known Mutare based socialite, Mr Blessing Mawaraidzo’s death, is demanding the US$15 000 that she claims her lover was holding on to at his time of death.

She also believes that his demise was not a result of a natural cause.

Popularly known as Musoja in the eastern border city social circles, Mr Mawaraidzo breathed his last at his rented Bordervale house in Mutare on June 6.

His death sent tongues wagging in social circles with different schools of thought being proffered, chief among them being the belief that Mr Mawaraidzo succumbed to injuries sustained during a violent confrontation with a rival suitor in Harare.

The Manica Post tracked down the late Mr Mawaraidzo’s girlfriend — Ms Rophia Makamba, and she poured her heart out on what she thinks is a media onslaught on her character.

Ms Makamba said the late Mr Muwaraidzo died while in possession of US$15 000 that was meant for their business partnership deals.

Barely three weeks after Mr Mawaraidzo’s death, nasty exchanges between his widow, Mrs Joice Mawaraidzo and Ms Makamba have already spilled into the courts of law, with his widow applying for a peace order against the mistress.

“I work for my money. In fact, Blessing was in possession of some money amounting to about US$15 000 when he died. This is the money that I am entitled to and I am asking for it. Instead all I get is a peace order,” said Ms Makamba.

When contacted for a comment, Mrs Muwaraidzo said she could not talk to the Press.

However, in her affidavit for application of a peace order against Ms Makamba, Mrs Muwaraidzo states that: “The Respondent was my husband’s girlfriend. He passed away on the 6th of June, 2023. After the death of my husband, the Respondent began to unnecessarily abuse me by threatening, harassing and provoking me for no reasonable

cause.

“The Respondent is threaten (sic) to come and collect the money which was under the custody of my late husband. I advised her that I had no knowledge of such and the deceased never informed me of such.

“Despite that, the Respondent is continuing to threaten to come home and only to stop demanding for the money till I give her. Besides, the Respondent is in custody of the deceased’s cellphones and is abusing me by copy and paste my personal texts (sic) between me and the deceased and publishing them on social media.”

In response, Ms Makamba said her late lover’s widow is trying to tarnish her image.

“I am not surprised at all by all this. Imagine this is someone who is still mourning her husband but she is already in the courts fighting me.

“For the record, the late Blessing was not rich, he was actually poorer than me. I am better off.

“Even the house at 12 Miles was built using proceeds from some of the deals that I initiated. The wife only got there when the man died during funeral proceedings since she never wanted to go to the place as she knew that the property came from my hassles with Blessing,” she said.

Ms Makamba did not mince her words on what she also believes to be unnatural causes that led to her partner’s death.

“It is sad that I have been painted villain in all this drama because lies travel fast. I am surprised that even the media are publishing negative stories about me when I am innocent. The truth of the matter is that, with all that is going on, I believe there is more to Blessing’s death than natural causes.

“Yes, people in Mutare have tried to link me to his death but I am also surprised because he was here in Harare with me on Monday and died at his home on Tuesday during the wee hours of the morning while seated in the dining room.

“When he left Harare he was fine. Why was he not in his bedroom at the time of his death? Why are people being blind to the possibility of poisoning since he had spent the later part of that Monday there in Mutare?” asked Ms Makamba.

She denied the widely circulated rumours that the deceased succumbed to the backfiring money spinning rituals they (Ms Makamba and the late Mr Muwaraidzo) had joined.

“It is unfortunate that most people still have the belief that everyone who makes money does so through rituals. I have not joined any ritual cult and l work hard for my money.

“Blessing and l had something in common. We loved water and we usually visited water bodies just for fun.

“No wonder there is a video of Blessing placing a ring on my finger while we are in water. Rumour mongers started attaching that video to some cultic ritual,” she said.

state media