Chiwenga to testify against ex-wife on December 7

Vice-President Constantino is expected at the Harare Magistrates Court to testify in the ongoing trial of his ex-wife Marry Mubaiwa's attempted murder case.

Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti told the court yesterday that the State seeks to summon Chiwenga to testify on December 7 as the trial continues.

Chiwenga last year testified in camera at Mubaiwa's other trial where she is facing money laundering, assault and fraud charges.

She was convicted in April last year for illegally attempting to upgrade her marriage to Chiwenga and fined ZWL$60 000 at the magistrates' court.

Meanwhile, former Health and Child Care deputy minister and Vice-President Chiwenga's personal physician John Mangwiro yesterday continued his testimony in the case in which the latter's estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa is facing attempted murder charges.

In his testimony before Harare magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka, Mangwiro said he heard Chiwenga screaming before informing Major Nyoni that Mubaiwa allegedly tried to pull life-saving tubes attached to the ailing former army general.

He, however, said there was no actual damage done to Chiwenga.

In cross-examination, Mubaiwa's lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa argued that there was no recorded statement from the hospital or the police which validates the attempted murder incident.

She further argued that State witnesses never mentioned anything about the alleged attempted murder further arguing that Mangwiro was being evasive on whether the incident happened before the medical report was compiled.

Mtetwa told the court that both Nyoni and Dr Seiling failed to make a record about the alleged attempted murder.

She said Chiwenga requested all the hospital records when he was in South Africa which were made available to medical practitioners.

Mangwiro, however, denied seeing the records insisting that the records were specifically directed to physiotherapists.

He also testified that Mubaiwa tried to withdraw an intercostal tube from Chiwenga's chest which could have led to his death.

When Mtetwa said Chiwenga's statement was recorded while he was unconscious, Mangwiro said the patient was not completely out.

Mubaiwa allegedly introduced Dr Bruce Peck who also regularly treated Chiwenga but Mangwiro argued that he saw the doctor kissing Chiwenga's ex-wife.

He told the court that he later learned that Peck was a veterinary doctor after Mubaiwa introduced him as a family medical practitioner.

The witness said Mubaiwa often requested confidential time with Chiwenga adding that their hands were tied since she was a "powerful woman" who decided the next moves.

Mtetwa said Chiwenga security personnel failed badly to protect him.

She also told the court that the hospital records were missing because the incident was an afterthought since Chiwenga wanted to get rid of Mubaiwa at the end of 2019.

Mangwiro told the court that he is not sure why Dr Seiling failed to include  the attempted murder incident in his medical statement.

Mtetwa also accused State witnesses of fabricating facts and giving different evidence before the court.

She argued why forensic examination was not conducted asking Mangwiro why a blood-stained T-shirt was washed. The court also heard that Andrew Sibanda, one of Chiwenga's nurses, had interfered with his treatment with Mtetwa arguing that he took care of the patient. The medical report which was co-authored by Mangwiro and Seiling indicated that Sibanda was suspected of providing unprescribed medication to the complainant.