Marry Mubaiwa is at a serious risk of having at least one of her arms amputated after failing to get the medical care she needs to treat her lymphoedema, a court heard on Tuesday.
The Harare Magistrates Court was told this as the 40-year-old estranged wife of vice president Constantino Chiwenga asked for the postponement of her trial for allegedly forging a marriage certificate.
Her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said she was in no condition to stand trial, pointing to heavy medicines she is taking which she said were compromising her mental health.
She said Mubaiwa had been blocked from accessing specialist treatment in South Africa and because of that her condition had continued deteriorating.
“She may end up being amputated because none of the medication she is receiving is working well,” Mtetwa said.
Mtetwa said Mubaiwa – who is also facing a string of other charges including assault, fraud, money laundering and the attempted murder of Chiwenga – underwent a skin grafting procedure three weeks ago to repair tissue damage on her arms.
The trial was scheduled to start before Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube, but it was temporarily torpedoed by Mubaiwa’s application for a postponement.
Justice George Chiweshe of the Supreme Court was lined up to be the first state witness in the fraud and forgery case, but he was excused and told he would be summoned when a new trial date is set.
Mtetwa called a doctor who filed Mubaiwa’s medical report to the witness stand to explain her condition.
However, state prosecutor Michael Reza said it was strange that Mubaiwa was raising medical issues only now.
Zimlive
