Marry Mubaiwa finally granted bail

Harare, (New Ziana) – The High Court on Monday finally granted bail to Marry Mubaiwa, the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is facing four charges including attempted murder.

Mubaiwa was arrested last month on attempted murder, externalisation, money laundering and fraud charges, and spent the festive season in remand prison, fighting to get bail.

She is denying all the allegations.

Her attempts to secure freedom were futile at the time as the bail hearings were twice postponed for different reasons.

After the case was finally heard last Tuesday, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda reserved judgement indefinitely on her two bail applications.

But in a judgement availed on Monday, Justice Kwenda granted Mubaiwa $50 000 bail among other conditions.

Justice Kwenda also set aside an earlier decision by the Magistrates Court to deny Mubaiwa bail on the three charges of externalisation, money laundering and fraud.

“The accused be and is hereby admitted to bail pending trial. The accused shall deposit the sum of RTGS$50 000 with the Clerk of Court at the Harare Magistrates Court,” said Justice Kwenda.

Other bail conditions include surrendering her diplomatic passport, reporting to the police once every fortnight and not interfering with state witnesses.

In the attempted murder charge, Mubaiwa is accused of trying to kill her then gravely ill husband by unplugging life support tubes in a hospital ward in South Africa where he was admitted in June.

In the fraud case, she is accused of attempting to upgrade her customary marriage to VP Chiwenga to a civil one without his knowledge or consent.

On the externalisation and money laundering allegations, Mubaiwa is accused of having misrepresented facts to a local bank to facilitate transfer of funds for the acquisition of personal assets outside the country.

Mubaiwa was represented by Advocate Sylvester Hashiti instructed by Taona Nyamakaro of Mtetwa & Nyambirai Legal Practitioners during last week’s bail hearing.

In her application, Mubaiwa argued that she was not a flight risk and that it would be easy for the state to extradite her from South Africa as they had identified properties she owned there.

Her father, renowned football administrator Kenny Mubaiwa volunteered to deposit title deeds to his properties at No.102 Seke Road as additional security.
New Ziana