Ex-wife of Zimbabwe's vice-president freed after collapse of attempted murder case
Marry Mubaiwa had been held on remand for seven years after being charged in 2019 for her then husband's attempted murder.
Ex-wife of Zimbabwe's vice-president freed after collapse of attempted murder case
Zimbabwe's vice-president's former wife has been released from remand after spending seven years on trial over an attempted murder case.
Marry Mubaiwa was charged in 2019 after her then husband, Gen Constantino Chiwenga, accused her of trying to block his medical treatment in South Africa.
In ordering her release, a magistrate said Mubaiwa had endured mental, physical and financial prejudice during the proceedings, according to the state-owned daily the Herald.
The decision came after the state requested a one-month postponement of the trial to allow time to engage witnesses.
Her lawyer called the ruling a victory that had arrived too late, saying her client's rights had been violated by the delay in the case.
Speaking outside court in the capital, Harare, on Tuesday, the lawyer added that if the state sought a new trial, they would address it when it happened.
Mubaiwa was accused of trying to kill Chiwenga while he was receiving treatment in a Pretoria hospital. The vice-president later spent four months in China for treatment.
Mubaiwa was held in custody and denied bail.
According to the New Zimbabwe news website, Mubaiwa celebrated her release outside court and said justice had been done, adding that she was proud of her lawyer.
In 2017, Chiwenga played a central role in the overthrow of then President Robert Mugabe.