Chiwenga's ex-wife faces amputation

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga's estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa has been admitted at a private hospital in Harare where her hand could be amputated as her condition had worsened.

This was revealed yesterday in court by Mubaiwa's lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who told magistrate Lazini Ncube that her client was admitted on Tuesday last week.

"Mubaiwa was diagnosed with a severe syndrome which is chronic and the doctors are currently attending to her. She might have her hand amputated, but the doctor said she would be amputated after she got better," Mtetwa said.

She asked the court to remand her from her hospital bed or to arrange for an ambulance to bring her to court for remand.

A medical report by specialist trauma and orthopaedic surgeon John Nyahunzvi stated that Mubaiwa was on five weeks post-revision surgery for a right humerus shaft refracture.

"Her current condition is critical (life threatening) and has necessitated hospitalisation and stabilisation with a plan for emergent right high above elbow amputation as soon a she is deemed medically stable.  She has severe sepsis secondary to deep infection after revision surgery to fix a re-fracture of the right humerus shaft against a background of chronic sepsis in her forearm.  Careful in-patient clinical management of her current state is required and a multi-disciplinary team is in attendance," Nyahunzvi said.

Mtetwa requested the State to go to hospital for her remand hearing.

"We can arrange an ambulance to come to court and you will look at her at the parking. So we request that if necessary the court might go to the hospital," she said.

The State represented by Tendai Shonhai, Tafara Chirambira and Michael Reza did not oppose that Mubaiwa should be remanded from her hospital bed.

"We have noted the application, and we do not oppose the proposal for us to go and remand her at the hospital. However, we need to be furnished with particulars of where the accused person is currently admitted," Shonhai said.

"The law allows us to apply for a warrant of arrests and we are supposed to apply for a warrant of arrest because she is not in court. We are amenable to go to the hospital even though the law allows us to apply for warrant of arrest," Shonhai said.

The judgment in a case where Mubaiwa is accused of marriage fraud was expected to be delivered yesterday and the court had to postpone the matter.

She had made several court applications, saying she was not fit to stand trial, but they were dismissed by the courts.

At the end of the State case, Ncube dismissed her application, saying she should answer certain questions which were not exhausted by the evidence of witnesses.

But Mtetwa told the court that she could not be put to her defence because of her poor health.