Chiwenga Pushes For Marry’s Incarceration
7 December 2021
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By A Correspondent- The trial of Vice president Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Marry, started Monday, despite calls from all over the country for Chiwenga to stop persecuting his wife.

The trial started with Marry pleading not guilty to numerous charges, including killing Chiwenga and money laundering.

Marry also denied trying to secretly arrange a wedding with the Vice President saying the latter was fully aware of the plan.

Her lawyer Ms Beatrice Mtetwa had initially applied for the recusal of Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube from presiding over the case arguing that he would not give her client a fair trial.

Ms Mtetwa said she strongly believed Mr Ncube could not determine the case impartially and claimed the magistrate was making decisions on mood swings.
“The law requires that you should recuse yourself as there is a perception that you may be biased. We fear that you will not give the accused person an impartial trial that she deserves,” said Ms Mtetwa.
Ms Mtetwa said her application was based on consistent behaviour by the magistrate against her client.
Prosecutor Mr Tafara Chirambira, however, opposed the application saying the court should not abdicate its functions.

“The defence cannot choose a judicial officer of their own,” he said.
Last week two doctors who recently examined Mubaiwa sent reports to the court claiming that she was mentally fit for trial.
The application was dismissed.
Ms Mtetwa read her client’s defence outline in court stating.
In her defence, Marry said from the time VP Chiwenga paid lobola (bride price) in July 2011 the parties had agreed that they would formally wed and a wedding was requested from her family upon conclusion of the lobola ceremony.
“She will state that she was with the complainant in India in 2019 where she was receiving medical treatment and having so much time in their hands led them to discussing the wedding and they agreed that if they would be back home by July 2, 2019 they would have a small wedding,” reads the defence outline.

She further stated that the deposit of US$15 000 paid for the rings was paid.
“She will further point out that the complainant indicated that he would ask the President to be the best man and since the date had been set, she believed he had asked him” reads her defence outline.
“If he was unaware of the wedding and its date, he would not have spoken about asking the President to be his best man,” she said.
Marry said when they returned to Zimbabwe, the jeweller came to their house to measure their fingers and the complainant fully recognised the jeweller.
The State called its first witness former Judge president Justice George Chiweshe who is now working at the Supreme Court.
In his testimony Justice Chiweshe said he knew Marry as a niece in the extended family sense and a wife to the Vice President.
He said he also worked with the Vice President during the liberation struggle.
“Sometime in mid-2019, the accused person phoned me and said they would want me solemnise their wedding which would be held at their home in Borrowdale Brooke.

“I advised her that this process was done at the Magistrates Court and I could only assist by communicating with the then Chief Magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi.
“I communicated with Mutevedzi and he said he was willing to help as the marriage officer for that occasion,” said Justice Chiweshe.
During cross examination by Ms Mtetwa Justice Chiweshe said he did not suspect any falsehoods from Marry as she was the complainant’s wife.
“It would be strange for a spouse to organise such a ceremony without her husband’s knowledge, that’s why I believed her,” he said.
He did not believe something amiss at that time Marry called him asking for assistance.
The matter was deferred to today for continuation.

-Herald