Harare Regional Magistrate Musaiona Shortgame has removed Mary Mubaiwa from remand in a case in which she was accused of attempting to murder Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. The decision ends Mubaiwa's current remand proceedings nearly seven years after she was accused of attempting to kill her former husband by disconnecting his life-support equipment while he was receiving treatment at a South African hospital.
The ruling followed an application by the State to postpone the trial until November 25 to allow prosecutors more time to engage witnesses. However, Shortgame rejected the request, saying Mubaiwa had suffered considerable prejudice while the case remained before the courts for almost seven years. Mubaiwa had denied the attempted murder allegation.
Removal from remand is not necessarily the same as an acquittal on the merits of the charge. It releases an accused person from the obligation to continue making routine remand appearances, although the State may potentially proceed later by summons if it is ready to prosecute and the law permits.
Mubaiwa's legal battles unfolded while she was suffering from a serious and deteriorating medical condition that resulted in multiple amputations. Doctors amputated her right arm in September 2022 after she developed complications associated with acute lymphoedema and the spontaneous formation of abscesses. The condition caused large open wounds on her arms and legs. Her left leg was amputated in 2024 in another attempt to save her life.
The attempted murder case arose from allegations that Mubaiwa tried to disconnect Chiwenga's life-support equipment while he was hospitalised in South Africa. Chiwenga, a former military commander who became Vice-President following the November 2017 military intervention that ended Robert Mugabe's rule, was previously married to Mubaiwa.
Mubaiwa expressed relief and praised her lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, for her work throughout the proceedings. "We won. Ms B has done a lot of work. She's done very well. It's been unfair, but today we got justice. I'm so proud of her," Mubaiwa said. The decision represents a significant victory for Mubaiwa and brings the current proceedings to an end after years of delays.
In a separate matter, Mubaiwa suffered a financial setback in July 2025 when Zimbabwe's National Prosecuting Authority announced the forfeiture of a luxury property in Pretoria and two Range Rover vehicles to the South African State. The Gauteng High Court granted the forfeiture order on December 5, 2022, declaring the assets proceeds of crime.
Key points
- The court removed Marry Mubaiwa from remand nearly seven years after she was accused of attempting to murder Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.
- Mubaiwa's prolonged remand proceedings caused her mental, physical and financial prejudice, according to the magistrate.
- The removal from remand does not necessarily mean an acquittal on the merits of the charge, but rather releases Mubaiwa from routine remand appearances.
