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Zimbabwe Vice President’s Wife Charged With Attempted Murder

Zimbabwe Vice President’s Wife Charged With Attempted Murder

(Bloomberg) --

The wife of Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who was arrested during the weekend over alleged fraud and money laundering, now faces an additional charge of attempted murder.

Prosecutors accused Marry Mubaiwa of deliberately denying the vice president medical attention at the height of his illness and unlawfully interfering with medical procedures when he finally got to a hospital.

Zimbabwe Vice President’s Wife Charged With Attempted Murder

“On 23 June 2019, the accused kept on denying the complainant access to medical treatment and the security team had to force their way to take the complainant to Netcare Hospital,” according to charges read out by Prosecutor Michael Reza in the capital, Harare.

The Magistrate Court ordered Mubaiwa detained until Dec. 30 She was not required to take a plea during Monday’s session.

Chiwenga, a possible challenger to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, returned to Harare in November after spending months in South Africa, China and India seeking treatment for an undisclosed illness. The retired general orchestrated the army intervention that toppled former President Robert Mugabe and brought Mnangagwa to power.

To contact the reporter on this story: Desmond Kumbuka in Harare at dkumbuka@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Dulue Mbachu

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.