Marry Mubaiwa, the former wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, has been removed from remand after spending seven years facing an attempted murder charge. Harare magistrate Musaiona Shotgame rejected the State’s bid to postpone proceedings further, ruling that her constitutional rights had been violated during the protracted legal ordeal.
A Long Legal Battle Reaches a Turning Point
The decision handed down in Harare marks a significant turn in a criminal case that began after the collapse of the couple’s marriage in 2019, as NewZimbabwe.com reported. Mubaiwa faced allegations that she tried to impede medical treatment while Constantino Chiwenga received hospital care in South Africa.
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga's ex-wife Marry Mubaiwa arriving at the Harare Magistrates Court for the continuation of her attempted murder trial.Mubaiwa is alleged to have tried to kill Chiwenga by removing life saving tubes connected to him in a South African hospital… pic.twitter.com/Jv2jdJzNyO
Outside the courtroom, an emotional Mubaiwa celebrated the ruling with her legal counsel. “Ah tahwina isu, I’m so happy. Mrs B has done a lot of work. She has done very well. She has done great. It has been unfair, but today brought justice,” she declared, praising her lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, according to NewZimbabwe.com.
Mtetwa welcomed the outcome but described the victory as hollow because it arrived far too late. She noted that her client had suffered mental, physical, and financial prejudice throughout the ordeal, a point echoed in state-owned daily reporting covered by the BBC.
Disputed Evidence and Prolonged Delays
The attempted murder trial centered on allegations from the vice president’s hospitalisation in Pretoria, where former Deputy Health Minister John Mangwiro testified that Mubaiwa pulled an intravenous tube from Chiwenga’s chest. Mangwiro alleged he heard Chiwenga screaming in agony before medical staff intervened.
The defence vigorously challenged those claims. Mtetwa questioned why the alleged incident failed to appear in recorded hospital statements and pointed out that other witnesses omitted the accusations entirely. The legal proceedings were further thrown into uncertainty when the original presiding magistrate, Feresi Chakanyuka, was elevated to the High Court bench, prompting the State to seek a fresh start with new witnesses.
| Milestone | Details |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Constantino Chiwenga plays a key role in overthrowing then President Robert Mugabe. |
| 2019 | Marriage collapses; Marry Mubaiwa is charged with attempted murder over hospital incident in South Africa. |
| Not specified | Harare magistrate Musaiona Shotgame removes Mubaiwa from remand after a seven-year legal battle. |
Unresolved Questions and Future Uncertainty
Magistrate Shotgame criticized the State’s handling of the matter, specifically questioning why no arrest warrant had been issued against Chiwenga when he repeatedly failed to attend court. Mtetwa emphasized that for the final 22 months of the remand period, the case stalled entirely because the complainant did not appear.
While the court order frees Mubaiwa from the immediate burden of the trial, the defense remains aware that prosecutors may attempt to reopen the litigation. Mtetwa stated that her team is prepared to address any future legal maneuvers should the State decide to pursue the matter once more.
