More pain for Chiwenga's wife

The ailing Marry is facing multiple charges at the courts, including claims that she wanted to kill her powerful husband when he was receiving medical treatment in South Africa two years ago.

She has been diagnosed with lymphoedema - a condition which her doctors describe as a build-up of fluids in body tissues that can no longer be drained, causing massive swelling and wounds.

This comes as Marry and Chiwenga are going through an acrimonious public divorce.

In his Christmas eve ruling, Justice Benjamin Chikowero said there was no adequate evidence to convince the court that Marrys's condition could not be handled locally.

Through her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, Marry had attached letters from her doctors Sydney Makarawo and South Africa-based J Van Heerden that she needed specialist treatment in the neighbouring country.

But Chikowero questioned how Van Heerdan was giving detailed accounts of Marry's current health condition and specialist care requirements when she had not travelled to South Africa since lockdown restrictions were imposed in the country in March.

Chikowero said further that there was nothing to show that Van Heerdan had treated Marry since December 4 last year, when she last visited him.

"The applicant says she sought medical treatment in Zimbabwe post December 4, 2019. She says those efforts have not alleviated her condition. Instead, her health has deteriorated.

"She has produced neither medical report nor other medical records to substantiate her assertion that she has failed to obtain the care that she needs in the country.

"I only have Makarawo's letter written on November 6. So, there is that gap in the evidence.

"The applicant has placed inadequate information before the court to warrant alteration of her bail conditions. In the result, the application is dismissed," Chikowero ruled.

Marry is facing a slew of allegations at the courts and as part of her bail conditions she surrendered her passport which she now requires to travel to South Africa.

She is being charged with attempting to murder Chiwenga when the retired military commander was on a medical visit to South Africa in 2018.

The former model is also facing a US$2 million money laundering and externalisation charge, as well as allegations of assaulting her child's minder.

All these matters are pending before the courts.

VICE president Constantino Chiwenga's estranged wife, Marry, has suffered a major blow after the High Court rejected her application for the return of her passport to allow her to travel to South Africa to seek urgent medical attention there.