Valentina Guebuza, the influential businesswoman daughter of former Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, was shot dead by her husband in their apartment in a wealthy neighbourhood of the capital, Mozambican police said on Thursday.

Ms Guebuza was shot with a pistol at home on Wednesday night, a police spokesman said.

Zofimo Muiuane is being held for suspected involvement in the alleged murder, Destak reported.

Police spokesman Inacio Dina told journalists: “The first indications we have is that this was an authentic case of domestic violence which ended, sadly, in the death of the citizen Valentina Guebuza.”

Guebuza, a member of the ruling Frelimo party’s Central Committee and ranked as one of Africa’s most powerful women, was rushed to hospital after being shot four times but died en route, police spokesman Orlando Mudumane said.

Her husband, Zofimo Muiuane, had confessed to the murder, saying the couple had of late been living a tumultuous relationship, Mudumane said.

A South Africa-trained civil engineer, Guebuza held prominent positions in the telecommunications and banking sectors and led several family businesses.

Among these was Focus 21, a family investment firm with interests in fisheries, transportation, mining, real estate, media and the port in Beira, Mozambique’s second city.

Her father, Armando, stepped down in 2015 after 10 years as president in which his commercial interests earned him the nickname Gue-Business. He remains one of Mozambique’s most powerful figures.

•Pieced together from reports by Timeslive.co.za and BBC.

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