Ex-wife of Zimbabwe's vice-president freed after collapse of attempted murder case

What the report says

Marry Mubaiwa, the former wife of Zimbabwe’s vice-president Constantino Chiwenga, has been freed from remand after spending seven years under prosecution in an attempted murder case, according to BBC World News. She had been charged in 2019 after Chiwenga accused her of trying to interfere with his medical treatment while he was in South Africa. The case had remained unresolved for years while she was held in custody and denied bail.

A magistrate ordered her release after the state sought a one-month adjournment to contact witnesses, the BBC reported, citing Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald. The court said Mubaiwa had suffered mental, physical and financial harm during the prolonged proceedings. Her lawyer welcomed the decision as a belated victory, arguing that the long delay had already violated her rights. Outside court in Harare, the lawyer said the defence would respond if prosecutors later tried to revive the case.

Mubaiwa was accused of attempting to kill Chiwenga while he was being treated in Pretoria; he later travelled to China for further treatment. The BBC also noted that Chiwenga was a central figure in Zimbabwe’s 2017 political transition that ended Robert Mugabe’s rule. The outcome closes, at least for now, a long-running case that has drawn attention to delays in Zimbabwe’s justice system and the impact of extended pre-trial detention.