The pen is mighty after all!
How The Sunday Mail exposed Peter Dube and brought him to justice
IN April 2021, Peter Dube, a car dealer in Gweru, allegedly shot and killed his wife’s suspected lover and her best friend in a fit of rage.
He also injured his wife and her sister. Dube then skipped the country and became a fugitive for close to three years.
It is believed he initially escaped to South Africa. His journey eventually took him to Eswatini and Ireland.On Wednesday, Dube was deported from Mozambique to Zimbabwe and arrested upon arrival. This timeline details how The Sunday Mail investigated Dube during his bid to escape the long arm of the law.
The Sunday Mail’s exposé
Following leads from trusted sources, this publication launched an investigation into the suspected killer’s whereabouts.
In an exclusive article published on April 30, 2023, titled “Fugitive killer Dube surfaces in Ireland”, we chronicled how the suspected murderer changed his identity to Xolile Mtsali in Eswatini.
He allegedly acquired a passport (A09465267) in Mbabane on October 28, 2021, which he used to relocate to Ireland, where he applied for asylum.
He also assisted his wife, Nomatter Chawana, and children to acquire new identities. In Ireland, he sought refuge at Red Cow Moran Hotel in Dublin.
Dube’s wife allegedly assumed the alias Nosipo Sandra Simelani.
We managed to obtain copies of Dube and his family’s passports, which were issued on October 20, 2021. During the investigations, Dube’s wife confirmed through the phone that she was in Ireland.
Interpol intervention
After our exposé, which was corroborated by police investigations, in May 2023, the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) placed Dube on the Red Notice, which is a request to law-enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or related legal action. On May 14, 2023, we ran an article titled “Ireland fugitive put on Interpol most wanted list”.
Police in Ireland subsequently launched an investigation, leading to Dube’s arrest in that country on June 14, 2023.
Shane Lyons, a press officer with the Irish police, confirmed Dube’s arrest and his appearance in an Irish district court charged with violating the Theft and Fraud Offence Act. We published a story on Dube’s arrest on June 18, 2023. NPA requests Dube extradition
In June 2023, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) started formal engagements with the Irish authorities for Dube’s extradition.
This was after the Zimbabwe Republic Police successfully secured an international arrest warrant for his detention.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, the then NPAZ chief public prosecutor, Mr Clement Chimbari, said the process had already begun and they were waiting for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to take the documents to the Irish authorities to facilitate the process.
Deportation to Mozambique
On October 1 last year, we carried yet another story, headlined “Drama as fugitive killer is deported to Mozambique”, which uncovered how the suspect had landed in the neighbouring country after claiming to be a Mozambican national.
It emerged that when Dube appeared in court in Ireland, he had changed his name to Armando Quenete Muchanga.
He was then deported Mozambique following his conviction on charges of violating Ireland’s immigration laws.
Dube appeared in court in Mozambique, where he was also convicted of using a fake identity.
Meeting the victim
In August last year, The Sunday Mail visited one of Dube’s victims, Nyaradzo Nharingo, who was shot in the back of the head, just behind the ear.
She chronicled how she struggled with medical expenses and nursing wounds over the years. She is still recovering from the injuries she sustained from the shooting.
Comm-Gen Matanga assures nation In November last year, Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga told The Sunday Mail that although there were delays, Interpol was assisting them in bringing the suspect back home.
The fugitive’s arrival
Dube arrived at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, where he was immediately apprehended.
He was then quickly escorted to Gweru, where he subsequently appeared in court, charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
He was remanded in custody to April 17.