THE Mubaiwa family has made a passionate plea to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and place jailed Marry Chiwenga (nee Mubaiwa), the wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, under house arrest to protect her honour.

Marry was remanded in custody last week, facing charges of attempting to kill the VP and fraud.

However, the family feels that her honour and respect has been dragged through the mud by incarcerating her with convicted criminals as she is innocent and coming from a ‘higher authority.’

“Coming from a higher authority like that, there is need to honour her. She is the wife of the Vice President, she needs to be respected and honoured regardless of anything else around,” Harrington Mubaiwa, an uncle to Marry told NewZimbabwe Sunday.

Harrington went on to suggest that Marry should instead be placed under house arrest.

“The best they can do is for her to be put under house arrest for now. There is nowhere she can go but there is need for a level of dignity for her,” he said.

According to the uncle, before her arrest Marry was staying with her five children. After her arrest, the VP took three of the children he sired with his wife while he sent the other two packing to stay with the Mubaiwa’s.

“It is illegal for Chiwenga to come and take the children,” said Harrington before accusing their in-law of using military and political power to influence the police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to get back on his wife.

Chiwenga is a former army general and is also going through a messy divorce process with Marry.

However, the Mubaiwa family feels that Mnangagwa should intervene and rescue Marry from what it views is persecution not prosecution.

“But the President being a custodian of freedom, safety and liberty of the citizens must intervene because my daughter is being denied that right,” said Harrington.

“President Mnangagwa, I request you to take this matter and give my daughter Marry Mubaiwa the dignity she deserves. I want to appeal for ED Mnangangwa’s intervention in this case in such a way that our daughter is handled with the level of dignity and protection that every citizen should have.”

The Mubaiwa family said it was also saddened with how the arrest of Marry was being handled as it was a family issue not a criminal case.

“We know that when a family has a disagreement, the husband who is unhappy with his wife should approach parents of the wife and discuss the way forward. This has not been done and it shows how Chiwenga despises the Mubaiwa family.

“He should have thought as a strategic man. He should have thought about this and I am sure he considered it but found it to be unnecessary because he perceives that we don’t have powers.

“And coming from a higher authority like that there is need to honour Marry, she is the wife of the Vice President, she needs to be respected and honoured regardless of anything else around.

Marry will be back at the High Court Friday for her bail application hearing.

-NewZimbabwe