‘Marry Mubaiwa put pressure on me to inject Chiwenga with a dangerous drug, gave me US$1 900’

The fifth witness in the trial of Marry Mubaiwa on charges of attempting to kill her ex-husband, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, by unplugging his life support system in a South African hospital, yesterday told the court that she put pressure on him to inject the VP with Pethidine, a dangerous drug.

South African physician Dr Willi Leo Sieling said Mubaiwa was not happy that he was giving VP Chiwenga the best medical attention.

He said sometime in December 2018, he was called by (Health Deputy Minister) Dr John Mangwiro to attend to VP Chiwenga at Fire Ice Hotel in Pretoria and when he arrived, he discussed extensively with Dr Mangwiro and Mubaiwa suggestions of going to Cape Town to see surgeons.

“I discussed with the complainant in the suspect’s presence and just before they left, the accused gave me US$1 900, but I did not know what the money was for,” he said.

Dr Sieling said he just thought the money was a gift from Mubaiwa since he had gone out of his way to assist VP Chiwenga.

“On the second trip on June 23, 2019, Dr Mangwiro called me saying the complainant was extremely ill and needed admission to a high care unit at NetCare Pretoria Hospital and I made the arrangements,” said Dr Sieling.

He further submitted that he waited until 2140hrs on the day, but could not see VP Chiwenga.

Dr Sieling said he arranged that specimens be extracted through a cystoscopy and it was then that he knew there was a problem with the first clean urine sample earlier submitted.

He said the urine specimen confirmed that VP Chiwenga was administered with Pethidine and Propofol, but he could not find the person who administered the drugs.

He stated that he then told VP Chiwenga that he had been administered with Pethidine and Propofol.

Dr Sieling told the court that when speaking to patients, they did not want anyone inside the ward, but after telling VP Chiwenga of the Pethidine in his blood, one of the security person entered the ward.

The security personnel ordered Dr Sieling to stop talking to VP Chiwenga.

Presiding magistrate, Mr Feresi Chakanyuka, postponed the trial to August 28 for continuation.

— Herald