Gogo Mashasha Granted $50k bail

Plaxedes Mashasha, the elderly woman from Chitungwiza who has been making headlines for allegedly spending days in the house with her husband’s decomposing body without notifying the police, was granted bail in the amount of $50,000 yesterday. The case has garnered widespread media attention.
The elderly woman, currently known by the moniker Gogo Mashasha, had been detained for the alleged crime for the past three weeks and had been in custody for the past 66 years.

She was charged with culpable homicide and made her initial court appearance yesterday before Mr. Clever Tsikwa, the regional magistrate for Chitungwiza.

Gogo Mashasha was granted bail in the end despite the State’s vehement opposition to the idea, and she was required to remain at the address that had been provided to the court.

The hearing on the case will now take place on December 30.

On Friday of last week, the judge decided that Gogo Mashasha had sufficient mental health to stand trial.

This transpired after it had been speculated that she may not be of sound mind.

Prosecutor Pamela Dzinduwa told the court that the defendant, Mashasha, was accused of abandoning her critically ill husband, Gideon, who was in the care of their son, Grant Mashasha, whose mental health has also been called into question. Gideon Mashasha has since passed away.

It is said that she left their home for an unknown location knowing full well that her husband required immediate attention.

The body of the late Gideon was discovered in their bedroom, wrapped in blankets.

As a direct consequence of this, he was killed, and his body began the process of decomposition while Gogo Mashasha pretended to be unable to enter the home.

She claimed that her son had locked the door from the inside and that he had been unable to unlock it for several days.

Ms. Dzinduwa testified in front of the court that gross negligence was to blame for the death of Gideon, who was unable to receive adequate nutrition or medical care before he passed away. Herald