In brief
After seven years in custody, Marry Mubaiwa was released from remand following the collapse of a prosecution that alleged she tried to stop her then‑husband, Zimbabwe’s Vice‑President Constantino Chiwenga, from receiving medical care in South Africa. Mubaiwa had been charged in 2019 with attempted murder after Chiwenga claimed she hindered his treatment in Pretoria. A magistrate cited mental, physical and financial suffering during the prolonged trial as the basis for her release. The case drew attention to the political influence wielded by Chiwenga, a key figure in overthrowing former President Robert Mugabe, and raised questions about judicial fairness in high‑profile cases. Mubaiwa celebrated her freedom and praised her lawyer for securing a late victory.
Marry Mubaiwa, the former wife of Zimbabwe’s Vice‑President Constantino Chiwenga, has been freed from remand after a seven‑year legal battle that alleged she tried to impede his medical treatment in South Africa.
In 2019, Chiwenga accused Mubaiwa of attempting to kill him while he was hospitalized in Pretoria, a charge that brought her into a drawn‑out trial and denied her bail.
The magistrate’s order to release her highlighted the mental, physical and financial prejudice she endured during the prolonged trial, a decision spurred by the state’s request for a one‑month postponement to engage witnesses.
Her lawyer described the ruling as a belated victory, noting that continued delays had violated her rights, and vowed to confront any future retrial vigorously.
Mubaiwa celebrated her release outside Harare’s court, saying justice had finally been achieved and expressing pride in her legal team’s persistence.
