By A Correspondent | Marry Mubaiwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife has been convicted for trying to upgrade the couple’s marriage while he was critically ill in India and unaware.

Mubaiwa was convicted after a full trial during which she denied the allegations arguing that they were in agreement with Chiwenga all the way.

The former model said she was secure in her marriage as such had no reason to forge wedding documents.

A total of 12 witnesses testified against her during the fast tracked trial which commenced last December.

Most of the witnesses said she never signed the marriage certificate.

But in convicting her Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube ruled that it is not in dispute that Chiwenga was too sick to be planning for a wedding.

The magistrate also said he found out that Chiwenga did not agree to the marriage upgrade as alleged by prosecutors.

The magistrate also said Mubaiwa misrepresented the facts to former judge president Justice George Chiweshe, well aware that her husband was in the dark.

“So if the complainant never consented to wed or have their marriage solemnised, can it be said the accused presented the correct statement to the first witness?

“It is my considered view that the accused made a false statement to the first witness who believed that there was consent from the complainant yet there was none. It is my considered view that there was overwhelming evidence against the accused person. The accused is therefore found guilty as charged,” Ncube ruled.

“False representation means presenting the facts which are not correct knowing that they are not correct,” he ruled.

Ncube said it is on record that Mubaiwa visited Chiweshe for him to facilitate the upgrade of the marriage.

“Justice Chiweshe decided to link her up with the second witness, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi (then chief magistrate) since Justice Chiweshe was not a marriage officer.

“It is therefore not in dispute that when she approached the first witness, it was for the purposes of having the marriage solemnised.”

The magistrate said all the evidence given by witnesses confirms that Mubaiwa had planned the wedding although it did not take place.

Mubaiwa had denied the allegations arguing that she had agreed with her husband to wed after the payment of lobola on July 2, 2011.

Mubaiwa further told court that she was with Chiwenga in India in 2019 where he was receiving medical treatment when they agreed that they would have a small wedding on 2nd of July 2019 if they were back home by then.

It was in her defence that when they were back in Zimbabwe, the jeweller came to their residence and measured their fingers.

It was also her evidence that when the complainant’s condition deteriorated, he was taken to South Africa for medical treatment and remained there beyond the 2nd of July 2019 and as a result the marriage could not take place.
Judgement is expected this Thursday.