A judge on Monday granted bail to the estranged wife of Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who was detained three weeks ago on allegations of attempting to kill her husband and engaging in money laundering and other fraudulent activities.
High Court judge Pisirai Kwenda released Marry Mubaiwa on ZW$50,000 (about US$2,966) bail and ordered her to surrender title deeds to her father’s house as well as to surrender her diplomatic passport and to report to the police once a fortnight.
Mubaiwa had languished in remand prison since December 15 and is accused of allegedly denying a then critically ill Chiwenga access to medical treatment after the Zimbabwean vice president was airlifted to South Africa in June 2019.
It is alleged that Mubaiwa kept the then bed-ridden Chiwenga in his hotel room in the South African capital Pretoria for a day despite the fact that he had been taken to the neighbouring country for urgently needed medical treatment.
It is further alleged that when Chiwenga was finally taken to hospital, Mubaiwa ordered security personnel to leave the ward, allegedly “saying she wanted privacy with the complainant”.
While alone with Chiwenga, she alleged removed the tubes that were being used to feed him and was stopped by the VP’s security details as she attempted to get him out of the hospital.
After the incident, Chiwenga was moved to China where he was treated for an oesophagus ailment that made it difficult for him to swallow food.
He returned to Zimbabwe in November and immediately instituted divorce proceedings against his wife.
Mubaiwa is also facing charges of engaging in money laundering, fraud and violating exchange control regulations.
JN/APA