In the university town of Gweru, Zimbabwe, a young woman's pursuit of knowledge was extinguished by the violence of a broken bond. Lisedi Nkomo, 25, a fourth-year Psychology student at Midlands State University, was shot dead on October 8 by her ex-husband at a boarding house in Senga — a reminder that the dangers many women face do not end when a relationship does. Her killer fled, having first silenced those who witnessed the act, and the search for him now depends on the conscience of a community.
MSU student killed in shooting; ex-husband sought in Gweru manhunt
Lisedi Nkomo, 25, a fourth-year Psychology student, was fatally shot in the forehead by her ex-husband at a boarding house.
He locked the tenants inside and took their phones before fleeing
Mark
Why would he lock the other tenants in a room and take their phones? That seems deliberate.
Mimi
It does. It suggests he wanted to buy himself time to leave before anyone could call for help. He essentially isolated the scene.
Luke
We should be careful here—we know that's what allegedly happened according to police. We don't have independent confirmation of that detail yet, or his stated motive for doing it.
Mark
Fair point. But if that's what happened, it shows a level of calculation, not just a crime of passion.
Mimi
Yes. It suggests he thought through the immediate aftermath, at least enough to try to delay discovery and response.
Luke
Or it could mean something else entirely—panic, an attempt to prevent people from following him, something we don't yet understand. The police statement tells us what they're investigating, not necessarily what his state of mind was.
Mark
So we're still in the early stages of understanding what actually occurred.
Mimi
Completely. We have the basic facts—a woman is dead, a man is being sought—but the fuller picture of why and how will emerge as the investigation continues.
Luke
And that's important to hold. The headline is clear, but the story underneath is still being written.
Der Puls
- A fourth-year student was shot once in the forehead by her ex-husband during a dispute at her boarding house, killing her instantly and shattering the lives of those around her.
- Before fleeing, the suspect locked fellow tenants in a room and seized their phones — a calculated act that bought him time and left witnesses trapped and voiceless.
- The deliberate silencing of witnesses delayed any immediate alert to police, giving the suspect a critical head start as a manhunt was launched across Midlands Province.
- Zimbabwe Republic Police have gone public with an appeal for community assistance, acknowledging that locating a fugitive often hinges on information only ordinary people can provide.
- Nkomo was weeks and months away from completing her degree; her death leaves a family, a university, and a boarding house full of traumatised residents to absorb a loss that should never have happened.
In the university town of Gweru, Zimbabwe, a young woman's pursuit of knowledge was extinguished by the violence of a broken bond. Lisedi Nkomo, 25, a fourth-year Psychology student at Midlands State University, was shot dead on October 8 by her ex-husband at a boarding house in Senga — a reminder that the dangers many women face do not end when a relationship does. Her killer fled, having first silenced those who witnessed the act, and the search for him now depends on the conscience of a community.
On October 8, Lisedi Nkomo — a 25-year-old fourth-year Psychology student at Midlands State University — was shot once in the forehead at her boarding house in Senga, Gweru. Her ex-husband, Godknows Muleya, allegedly opened fire following a dispute between them, then fled the scene. Before leaving, he confined the other tenants in a room and confiscated their cellphones, effectively silencing witnesses and delaying any call for help. The act gave him crucial time to disappear.
Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and the subsequent manhunt, which remains active across Midlands Province. Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the dispute or details about the suspect's known movements, but they have appealed to the public to report any information about Muleya's whereabouts to the nearest police station — a recognition that community knowledge is often the deciding factor in cases where a suspect has already vanished.
Nkomo was close to completing her degree when her life was cut short. For those locked in that room on the day of the shooting, the trauma carries an added weight — the helplessness of confinement, the absence of a phone, the inability to act. Her death is another entry in a painful record of lethal domestic violence in Zimbabwe, and the investigation continues as police work to bring the suspect to account.
On October 8, a 25-year-old Psychology student at Midlands State University was shot once in the forehead at a boarding house in Senga, Gweru. Lisedi Nkomo was in her fourth year of studies when her ex-husband, Godknows Muleya, allegedly opened fire following a dispute between them. The shooting sent immediate shock through the boarding house and set off a manhunt across Midlands Province that continues as authorities work to locate the suspect.
According to a statement from Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, Muleya fled the scene after the shooting. Before leaving, he allegedly confined other tenants inside a room at the boarding house and took their cellphones, a move that effectively isolated witnesses and delayed any immediate alert to authorities. The confiscation of phones meant that those who had seen what happened could not immediately call for help or contact police, giving the suspect crucial time to disappear.
The killing appears to have emerged from personal conflict between the two. Police have not released details about the nature of their dispute or the circumstances that led to the confrontation at the boarding house that day. What is clear is that the disagreement escalated to lethal violence, and a young woman pursuing her university degree is now dead.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police have appealed to the public for assistance in tracking down Muleya. Anyone with information about his whereabouts or movements has been urged to report to the nearest police station. The appeal reflects the reality that in cases where a suspect flees, community information often becomes crucial to apprehension. Police have not released details about Muleya's appearance, known associates, or likely direction of travel, though the manhunt is active across the province.
The death of Nkomo marks another instance of lethal domestic violence in Zimbabwe. She was a fourth-year student—close to completing her degree—when her life was cut short. Her family, the university community, and the boarding house residents where she died are now left to reckon with the sudden loss. For those locked in the room that day, the experience of confinement and the confiscation of their phones adds another layer to the trauma of witnessing or learning about the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing, and police continue to seek the suspect.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The suspect allegedly fled the scene after locking other tenants inside a room at the boarding house and taking their cellphones— Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi
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Crime & Justice