In brief
Marry Mubaiwa has been freed from remand after seven years on trial for attempting to kill Zimbabwe’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. The case, which began in 2019, collapsed when the magistrate cited severe mental, physical and financial prejudice suffered by Mubaiwa during the delayed proceedings. State officials had requested a month’s postponement to engage witnesses, a request that contributed to the court’s decision. Mubaiwa celebrated her release outside the Harare courthouse, describing the outcome as a delayed but nonetheless important victory. The attempt to murder was alleged to have occurred while Chiwenga was being treated in South Africa and later in China.
Marry Mubaiwa, the former wife of Zimbabwe’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, has been freed from remand after a seven-year legal ordeal.
The case began in 2019 when Chiwenga accused Mubaiwa of conspiring to impede his medical treatment while he was in South Africa. Prosecutors charged her with attempting to murder the vice-president, alleging the attack took place during his hospitalization in Pretoria before he was transferred to China for extended treatment.
A magistrate ordered Mubaiwa’s release, citing severe mental, physical and financial prejudice she had endured during the prolonged trial. The court also noted that the state had requested a one‑month delay to secure additional witnesses, a move that the judge deemed contributed to the case’s collapse.
Her lawyer described the decision as a delayed, but hard‑won victory, arguing that Mubaiwa’s rights were violated by the trial’s extended delay. Outside the Harare courthouse, Mubaiwa celebrated her freedom, praising her legal team for their perseverance.
Chiwenga, a key figure in the 2017 overthrow of former President Robert Mugabe, has remained a central political figure in Zimbabwe despite the controversy surrounding Mubaiwa’s case.
