Online Reporter
Peter Matika, [email protected]
A woman believed to be one of several wives of the late Zanu-PF Insiza North Member of Parliament, Farai Taruvinga, has appeared in court on charges of vehicle theft. Her court appearance comes amidst escalating reports of a fierce and complex legal battle over the prominent politician’s substantial estate.
Nontokozo Moyo presented herself before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza on Wednesday, facing accusations of motor vehicle theft. She was subsequently granted bail of US$150 and remanded out of custody until July 2.
As standard bail conditions, Moyo was ordered to reside at her stated address and to refrain from interfering with witnesses involved in the case. The State was represented by Ms Siphiwe Mhlanga.
Mr Taruvinga, who passed away on March 31 this year, was initially reported to have left behind two wives. However, fresh claims now suggest he had as many as four spouses, including Ms Moyo, who is alleged to have seized a vehicle she believed belonged to the late MP. This particular vehicle, however, is reportedly registered under the name of one of his former employees (name supplied).
The legal wrangle over Mr Taruvinga’s considerable estate has intensified significantly, especially with another woman, Amanda Falala, having been formally appointed as the executor of the estate by the Master of the High Court. Ms Moyo is now actively challenging the legality of that appointment, throwing the estate’s administration into disarray.
Moyo, who asserts that she was customarily married to Mr Taruvinga in December last year, has formally demanded that the executor selection process be redone, directly accusing Falala of fraudulent conduct in her appointment.
In court documents lodged at the Bulawayo High Court, Ms Moyo alleges that Falala registered the estate less than a week following Mr Taruvinga’s passing.
“Barely within a week of his demise, Amanda Falala registered the estate of the late Farai Taruvinga on 7 April 2025 . . . In doing so, she stated in the death notice that the late Taruvinga was only customarily married to her and Diana Makina. She repeated this falsehood in the inventory she submitted for the estate. This was and is unequivocally false, as she was well aware that I am also a surviving spouse of the deceased, along with Nokukhanya Sibanda,” Moyo declared in her affidavit.
She further accused Falala of deliberately omitting her from the estate’s initial registration, a calculated move, she claims, to deny her rightful inheritance.
“I have no doubt that this was calculated to ensure I am excluded from benefiting from the estate of the late Farai Taruvinga. In concealing my existence, Falala sought to disinherit me, despite my legitimate status as a beneficiary,” she passionately stated.
Moyo is now seeking a declaratory order from the High Court to effectively nullify Falala’s appointment as executor of the estate, aiming to restart the process.
The late MP’s substantial estate reportedly includes several immovable properties: a house in Hillside, a residential stand in Matsheumhlope, property in Filabusi Centre, a stand in Bekezela Township (Filabusi), and a rural home in Skuta, Filabusi.
The detailed estate inventory also lists an impressive collection of 15 vehicles — among them a Bentley and two Toyota Land Cruisers — as well as a motorbike and a significant holding of 32 head of cattle.
According to Falala, Mr Taruvinga had 12 children. He was also widely known to have owned a mine in Filabusi, alongside two nightclubs, and an abattoir, painting a picture of a vast and complex financial legacy.
