The trial of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s ex-wife Mary Mubaiwa has been postponed to next year pending a High Court determination on whether the Harare Magistrates Court has jurisdiction to preside over the case she is charged with attempted murder.
Harare magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka granted an application by Mubaiwa’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa to have the trial moved to 20 January 2023.
The former model is facing a charge of attempting to kill Chiwenga while he was hospitalised in Pretoria, South Africa.
Mubaiwa had sought the postponement of trial to January 20 pending a High Court determination on whether the court has jurisdiction to preside over the matter.
In her absence, Mtetwa brought Ryan Sitotombe to represent Mubaiwa on Thursday.
Sitotombe told the court that Mubaiwa’s preferred lawyer was set to undergo an operation in South Africa so she was unavailable.
“Following your ruling we wish to apply for postponement because her lawyer is due for an operation in SA. She will not be available because of that and after the operation she will not be able to walk on her own without the assistance of crutches,” Sitotombe said.
“Therefore, to enable the accused’s counsel of choice to represent her we seek postponement to January 17.”
Mubaiwa wants a South African court to preside over the case since the alleged incident happened in South Africa.
During trial, the State is expected to bring Chiwenga to court as its key witness in the case accusing the mother of his children of attempting to kill him in a South African hospital in 2019.
The accused is facing several charges that include money-laundering, and trying to fraudulently upgrade her marriage without Chiwenga’s knowledge.
