Chiwenga's wife seeks release of passport to undergo treatment in SA

TROUBLED former supermodel and estranged Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's wife, Marry Mubaiwa has approached the High Court with an urgent chamber application seeking the release of her passport.

Mubaiwa, who is facing several criminal charges including attempted murder, money laundering, fraud and assault, wants to urgently travel to South Africa to seek medical treatment as her health has reportedly "severely deteriorated."

She was told to surrender her passport to the Clerk of Court as part of her bail conditions.

Mubaiwa is suffering from an ailment known as lymphoedema which causes swelling of hands and legs.

In an urgent chamber application, Mubaiwa said she is in so much pain and the wounds on her arms had become septic.

"I have approached this Honourable Court for relief as I'm advised that in terms of this High Court's judgment, magistrates have no power to authorise the variation of bail conditions to include temporary release of a passport and to suspend reporting conditions," she wrote in her affidavit.

"I'm in extreme pain, I now have to carry a gadget which drains the liquids from the wounds. Without immediate specialist care, the wounds are becoming more and more septic and it is paramount that I receive immediate urgent attention to these injuries as the only specialist who has attended to them is in South Africa. There is simply no other way I can receive the necessary treatment in Zimbabwe."

Mubaiwa said she has been sick since 2018, after she was injured in a bomb blast at White City Stadium in Bulawayo at a Zanu-PF star rally ahead of the 2018 national elections.

Following the bomb attack, 2019 ended on a sad note for Mubaiwa after she was arrested in December last year for attempting to kill her husband, Chiwenga while he was hospitalised in South Africa.

She was also charged with fraud, with the state alleging she forged signatures to formalise her union with the retired army general upon realising that he was critically ill.

Mubaiwa was accused of externalising funds, and early this year she was arrested for assaulting her baby minder, Delight Munyoro.

She is yet to stand trial.

Her lawyers said their client's life is at stake.

Mubaiwa also supported the submission saying she is ready to parade her wounds in court.

"When I was arrested I was undergoing treatment for wounds that I suffered in a bomb blast in Bulawayo in 2018 and treatment was undertaken by Dr. Johan van Heerden and I hereto attach as Annexure F a copy of a letter from the doctor confirming that I had indeed been undergoing treatment as long ago as 2018 and what the nature of treatment was," she said.

Mubaiwa said she could not travel to South Africa after her arrest because of bail conditions and the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I nevertheless continued to seek treatment from local doctors but regrettably, the condition worsened to a point where I had difficulties in walking. The wounds on my arms have become worse and in this respect I am prepared to attend court so that the court can see for itself the extent of the wounds and how I definitely require immediate and urgent treatment. If I cannot attend court, I confirm that my legal practitioners can show the court both still pictures and video evidence of the wounds.

"I have consulted many doctors locally and regrettably, none of them have been able to successfully treat my injuries which have become worse with each day."

Mubaiwa also wants her reporting conditions to be scrapped while she is away, but said she is ready to continue reporting to the police after returning home.

The matter has not been set down for hearing.