A woman whose marriage had become the subject of a bitter dispute over pregnancy and miscarriage claims was found dead at her home in Dangamvura, Mutare, on Saturday, as both families awaited a traditional court hearing to address the breakdown of the relationship.
Tadiwanashe Mildred Maradzika had recorded an audio message before her death in which she spoke of the pressure and hurt she felt amid the dispute. National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that a woman had died, saying the circumstances were under investigation.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms a sudden death of a woman in circumstances, which are currently under investigation.
“Further details will be released in due course.”
Maradzika’s body was discovered by a Mutare City Council employee. She is believed to have ingested rat poison. Her recorded message described concern for her family and asked that her possessions be left for her mother to decide what to do with.
“Regai ndiende zvangu vanhu vekumba kwedu vazorore nekuda kweproblem yandakaunza muhupenyu hwavo nekuda kwangu.
“Ngavasawana mari yavanopihwa nemhuri yekwaNyahunzvi yekuripisa.
“Handidi kuvigwa kumusha uye ngapasawane anopiwa zvinhu zvangu asi mai vangu ngavasarudze zvavanoda pazvinhu zvangu.
“Moyo wangu unemaronda ndakabaiwa pamwoyo wangu, ndakashungurudzwa,” Maradzika said in the recording.
Maradzika married Carlton Nyahunzvi, who is based in the United Kingdom, in July. The couple had never lived together, and their relationship became strained after Nyahunzvi questioned documents connected to a pregnancy and miscarriage.
Nyahunzvi accused his wife of falsifying the records. Maradzika and her family maintained that she had suffered a miscarriage. The dispute moved from the couple to their relatives and was taken to Chief Mutasa’s traditional court, where Nyahunzvi sought to hand over gupuro, a traditional divorce payment.
The marriage dispute had already been public before Maradzika’s death. The couple, both aged 26, had not established a shared home after the July marriage. Nyahunzvi is based in Britain, while Maradzika was in Mutare. A disagreement about whether she had been pregnant and whether the medical records were genuine deepened the split between the spouses and drew in both families.
Maradzika said she felt humiliated during her stay at the Nyahunzvi family home in Murehwa. She later returned to Mutare while the families waited for the traditional court to hear the matter. The hearing was postponed three times, with the next date set for December 5 after the Maradzika family asked for a postponement.
Nyahunzvi said he was shocked when he heard of Maradzika’s death. He said her aunt had called him with the news and spoke of the couple’s efforts to get help.
“I was phoned and told about Mildred’s suicide by her aunt and it touched me, considering that we were both crying for help which never came,” he said.
Nyahunzvi said Maradzika’s parents had refused to accept gupuro and had not responded to summons to appear before Chief Mutasa’s court. He said he had approached the traditional leader because he wanted the dispute resolved. He also claimed Maradzika’s family wanted him to continue the marriage after he challenged the pregnancy and miscarriage documents.
He further said Maradzika’s family had made a police report against his brother-in-law, whom he said had helped him examine the documents. The disagreement over how the documents were handled added to the conflict between the households.
Maradzika’s mother, Tapuwa Charity Dzinemarira, had described the family’s position before her daughter’s death. She said Nyahunzvi should attend the traditional court himself rather than send his brothers to represent him. She rejected his account of the pregnancy and miscarriage.
“My son-in-law has approached a traditional court to hand over a token of divorce to my daughter over unfounded allegations,” she said.
“My daughter suffered a miscarriage and Carlton suspected that she was not pregnant.”
Dzinemarira said Nyahunzvi had asked for the medical process to be recorded, but the family had not been allowed to film it. She said he continued to question the records because he was living in the United Kingdom.
“He ordered a video recording of the medical process but we were not allowed to record such procedures.
“He then continued to doubt the medical records because he is based in the UK.
“He engaged his brothers to hand over a token of divorce, which we refused to accept.
“He then approached a traditional leader.
“My daughter was humiliated when we took her to Murehwa.”
The disagreement over gupuro became a central part of the families’ dispute. Nyahunzvi said the payment was intended to formalise the separation, while Maradzika’s parents refused to accept it and called for him to appear before the chief in person. The proceedings had not taken place before the latest hearing date was set.
The death comes as Zimbabwean organisations and advocates continue work around mental-health support for young people. The Ndinewe Foundation, led by Zimbabwean youth advocate Tanatswa Amanda Chikaura, provides locally relevant mental-health resources, peer support and education. Chikaura began her advocacy after a fellow University of Zimbabwe student died by suicide.
For the families in Mutare and Murehwa, the hearing that had been scheduled to address the marriage dispute will no longer take place as planned. Police have said further details about Maradzika’s death will be released in due course.