The estranged wife of Zimbabwe’s first Vice President Constantino Chiwenga was on Monday arraigned before a Harare magistrate to face charges of allegedly trying to kill her husband as well as money laundering and fraud.
Marry Mubaiwa was charged with allegedly denying a then critically ill Chiwenga access to medical treatment after the Zimbabwean vice president was airlifted to South Africa in June.
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.
According to the charge sheet, when Chiwenga was finally taken to hospital he was placed under 24-hour monitoring by his doctors and security agents.
Prosecutors say that on the night of July 8, Mubaiwa visited the hospital and ordered the security personnel to leave the ward, allegedly “saying she wanted privacy with the complainant”.
“Whilst alone with the complainant (Chiwenga), accused unlawfully removed the medical intravenous giving set as well as central venous catheter which were inserted into the complainant and the complainant started bleeding profusely,” the prosecutors say.
Mubaiwa is alleged to have forced Chiwenga off the bed and tried to get him out of the ward before being intercepted by security agents.
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.
She is expected to return to court on December 30 and was advised to apply to the High Court for bail.
JN/APA