In brief
Marry Mubaiwa was left in custody for seven years while her case ran down the legal system. A magistrate finally ordered her release after the prosecution requested a month’s delay to call witnesses. The judge cited mental, physical and financial harm caused by the delay. Mubaiwa celebrated outside court, calling it justice. The case stemmed from an alleged attempt to hinder Vice‑President Constantino Chiwenga’s medical treatment in South Africa.
The former wife of Zimbabwe’s vice‑president, Marry Mubaiwa, has been freed from remand after a seven‑year ordeal that began in 2019.
She was charged with attempting to kill Vice‑President Constantino Chiwenga while he was hospitalized in South Africa. Chiwenga had been in Pretoria, later traveling to China for treatment, which led him to allege that Mubaiwa was hindering his medical care.
The magistrate who ordered her release highlighted that she suffered mental, physical and financial harm while the case dragged on. The ruling came after the state asked for a month’s postponement to engage witnesses, drawing criticism that her rights were violated by the delay.
Mubaiwa’s lawyer called the decision a victory, albeit delayed, and said if the state pursued a new trial they would address it when it came.
She celebrated freely outside the Harare courthouse, opening her arms to friends and staff and saying justice had been achieved.
Chiwenga, who helped topple former president Robert Mugabe in 2017, remains a key figure in Zimbabwe’s political landscape.
