HARARE – The assault trial of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa failed to kick off on Friday due to her lingering poor health.
The 39-year-old former model, who is battling severe lymphedema that has carved gaping wounds into her limbs, is accused of attacking her children’s minder last year.
Mubaiwa’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told the court that her client was on blood transfusion and complained that the judiciary was abusing her and treating her unfairly.
“My client is facing a mere assault charge but the State is abusing its powers and treating the case like an extraordinary one,” Mtetwa protested as she sought deferment of proceedings.
Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa granted the request saying it was only fair for the accused to be given time to recover, and deferred trial to May 10, 2020.
Prosecutors had opposed Mubaiwa’s application arguing, “The witnesses were called and are all present and ready for the trial. It will be prejudicial to them if the trial is postponed again.”
Charges against Mubaiwa arose in January last year when she allegedly assaulted her family maid, Delight Munyoro, at Hellenic Primary School in Borrowdale where she had gone to pick up the defendant’s children.
Prosecutors charge that Mubaiwa slapped Munyoro in the face after accusing her of being a “witch” and telling her children “not to like her.”
She denies the allegations.
Mubaiwa has accused her separated husband Chiwenga of abusing the courts to block the release of her passports so she could seek desperately-needed medical treatment in South Africa.
Her passports were seized after her 2019 arrest on allegations of attempted murder of the vice president while he was admitted in a South African hospital and money laundering.
