Marry Mubaiwa Says She Is Still Unable To Stand Trial
Marry Mubaiwa, the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, on Monday told a Harare court she was still unable to stand trial in a case where she is accused of money laundering.
Mubaiwa appeared before Harare Magistrate Taurai Manuwere for the first time following the amputation of her right arm.
The former model said it was unfair to be kept on remand, considering her condition, and the fact the State repeatedly gives excuses to justify the delay of her prosecution.
Through her lawyer, Ryan Sitototombe from Mtetwa and Nyambirai Legal Practitioners, Mubaiwa complained that the State had been repeating the same story since 2020. Sitotombe argued:
The state was already on notice and l don’t know how many times the accused should appear in court for her to qualify to be removed from remand. This is a brazen violation of the accused person’s right.
The accused person has a right to a fair trial, which includes the right to be tried within a reasonable time in an independent court. The charges are from 2019 and the investigating officer said the investigations will be complete sometime in 2020, but now three years after there is still no trial date.
Sitotombe said the State is obliged by the Constitution to respect the right and freedom of the accused person.
The lawyer suggested that the State must only summon Mubaiwa when it is ready for trial.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti asked for a postponement telling the court that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was yet to go through the evidence in the form of a disk from a South African bank.
He said they were still waiting for a password to open the flash disk, NewZimbabwe quoted him as saying.
The magistrate is expected to hand down his ruling on the request by Mubaiwa on October 28.
The VP’s ex-wife is also charged with attempted murder and assault.
Prosecutors allege she tried to kill the former army general when he was critically ill and hospitalised in South Africa.
In another matter, it is alleged that Mubaiwa assaulted her former childminder, Delight Munyoro in 2020.
Both cases are still to be finalised.
