Marry Mubaiwa says her marriage to Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga left her with deep pain and poor health. In a chat with journalist Simba Chikanza, she made claims about drug use, her lost limbs, and the years she has spent apart from her kids.
Her account came after a court took her off remand in an attempted murder case that had dragged on for seven years. Police had first detained her in late 2019, and the case had kept her tied to the courts for much of that span.
One of her claims was about pethidine, a drug used to ease pain. Mubaiwa alleged that Chiwenga took it and had a nurse from the army give her shots of it as well. She said the use went on for years, with breaks only when she was pregnant.
Worse still, she blamed those shots for harm to her mind and body. Mubaiwa linked the drug to the loss of a hand and a foot through surgery. But no proof from an outside source has backed up her account of what caused those health issues.
Then there is the family side. The pair wed under customary law in 2011 and had three kids. She also had two from an earlier union. Per her account, seven years have passed without a visit or even a chat with the children she shares with Chiwenga.
And she wants her family life back. Her demands cover contact with her kids, a house, and cars. Mubaiwa said she had money and assets long before the marriage, and she did not enter it just to have children. As for her ex, she said her love for him was gone.
The criminal case stems from a claim that she tried to end Chiwenga's life at a medical center in South Africa. The charge alleged that she had cut off gear used in his care. Mubaiwa rejects that claim and insists he is aware that she never tried to harm him.
She also took issue with how long the case had lasted and argued that he should face blame for the claims made against her. Being taken off remand marks a change in her legal status, but it does not mean a court has cleared her of the charge.
Her account came after a court took her off remand in an attempted murder case that had dragged on for seven years. Police had first detained her in late 2019, and the case had kept her tied to the courts for much of that span.
One of her claims was about pethidine, a drug used to ease pain. Mubaiwa alleged that Chiwenga took it and had a nurse from the army give her shots of it as well. She said the use went on for years, with breaks only when she was pregnant.
Worse still, she blamed those shots for harm to her mind and body. Mubaiwa linked the drug to the loss of a hand and a foot through surgery. But no proof from an outside source has backed up her account of what caused those health issues.
Then there is the family side. The pair wed under customary law in 2011 and had three kids. She also had two from an earlier union. Per her account, seven years have passed without a visit or even a chat with the children she shares with Chiwenga.
And she wants her family life back. Her demands cover contact with her kids, a house, and cars. Mubaiwa said she had money and assets long before the marriage, and she did not enter it just to have children. As for her ex, she said her love for him was gone.
The criminal case stems from a claim that she tried to end Chiwenga's life at a medical center in South Africa. The charge alleged that she had cut off gear used in his care. Mubaiwa rejects that claim and insists he is aware that she never tried to harm him.
She also took issue with how long the case had lasted and argued that he should face blame for the claims made against her. Being taken off remand marks a change in her legal status, but it does not mean a court has cleared her of the charge.
