LAWYERS representing the incarcerated estranged wife of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, have said she was “too ill” and her hands were “too swollen to attempt to kill” the former army general who was admitted at a South African hospital.
This came out during the bail application hearing at the High Court in Harare yesterday where Mubaiwa’s lawyer, Taona Nyamakura said the State was failing to prove its attempted murder case.
Nyamakura said there was nowhere in the State case that proved the accused attempted to kill her husband, adding that the inclusion of a blood-stained T-shirt as evidence was “laughable”.
“The charge is attempted murder but nowhere does the State say the accused intended to kill her husband. What is there is just an allegation that she came to hospital to cause harm,” Nyamakura said, adding that the State case was too weak.
The lawyer said alleging that Mubaiwa dragged “a fully grown man” before trying to flee and disappeared from the scene, given her state, made the attempted murder claims “nonsensical”.
Nyamakura was later asked to withdraw the word “nonsense” in describing the nature of the allegations.
He said there was a medical report to prove that Mubaiwa was sick at the time the offence was allegedly committed and said it was not, therefore, possible for her to drag a fully grown man and disappear from the scene.
When Mubaiwa appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on Monday for routine remand, her swollen hands were bandaged.
She was remanded to January 14.
Marry Mubaiwa denies attempting to kill her husband Chiwenga, saying even after the date she was said to have tried to kill him, they travelled together to China and spent time together, she added that at one point, President Emmerson Mnangagwa facilitated her trip and upkeep while in the Asian country at the instigation of the former top soldier.
newsday
