Acting President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry has thrown another salvo at her husband, claiming the retired military commander is a dangerous character who uses the army to deal with perceived personal enemies.

In court papers filed on Thursday opposing Chiwenga’s application for custody of their minor children, Marry said the acting president had also exposed his shortcomings as a leader of a family, let alone a country.

In her response to Chiwenga’s application which is before the High Court seeking custody of their minor children, Marry said she could not be a danger to their children as was being alleged by her husband.

“I only communicated with the security personnel and when I was advised that I was not welcome at my own home, I did not take the law into my hands as he did by deploying his agents with unlawful instructions at the gate,” Marry said.

“If there is anyone who is dangerous, it is Chiwenga. He has proven that he can suborn the army when it suits him and he can use them (soldiers) to deal with perceived opponents.”

Marry said she was shocked to read reports that she was exposing the children to black magic yet it was Chiwenga who was known for using black magic.

She said the black magic issue was even mentioned in his previous divorce proceedings with Jocelyne Chiwenga.

“I deny the allegations that I exposed my children to black magic as alleged. I was shocked when I read those allegations. I deny knowledge of such items and that I exposed my children to any of these items. It is the respondent (Chiwenga) who is on record as having been accused of using black magic in his previous divorce proceedings,” Marry said.

She said Chiwenga could not say she was unable to take care of the children because of ill health, saying the VP was focusing on the speck in her eye while ignoring the log in his.

“He is the one who has globetrotted in search of medical attention and has been to India, South Africa and China. Even after his return from China, he still has a personal doctor and a nurse to take care of him on a daily basis and has the audacity to argue that because of my health, I am not a good parent,” Marry said.

She said despite her suffering from the injuries inflicted by a bombing at White City Stadium in Bulawayo in 2018, she had been taking care of her children while Chiwenga was bedridden.

“It was convenient for me to be with the children when Chiwenga was in hospital for more than 123 days, but it’s now inconvenient because he has fallen out of love with me,” Marry said.

“This type of thinking is intended to take the law back to a period when women had no rights. Chiwenga must be reminded that he does not get custody of the children because he has soldiers to suborn, but can get them through the courts; as it stands, he must return the children to me.”

Online