Zimbabwe: Chiwenga Attempted Murder Trial - Witnesses Give Conflicting Statements - Both Claim They Washed VP's Blood Stained T-Shirt

12 April 2023
New Zimbabwe (London)

Key witnesses have given apparently contradictory statements in a development that could compromise the prosecution's case in Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's attempted murder trial.

Chiwenga's estranged wife, Mary Mubaiwa, is on trial for allegedly trying to kill the former defence forces chief in 2019 when he was critically ill and hospitalised in South Africa.

The vice president is one of the witnesses lined up to testify against Mubaiwa who denies the charges.

Chiwenga's aide, Warren Sibanda, who testified first, told the court that Mubaiwa forcibly removed intravenous tubes from her husband.

Sibanda added that he had to wash the the army general's t-shirt because it was blood-stained.

However, during this Tuesday's hearing, the third witness, Sergeant Andrew Mugari, told court that he is the one who washed the t-shirt.

Mugari was part of the security team assigned to the vice president in South Africa.

Challenged by defence attorney Beatrice Mtetwa, Mugari was at however, pains to explain why they had washed a key exhibit in the criminal proceedings.

"I packed it with the complainant's bags after I washed it," said Mugari.

"I'm the one who took it from the chair to the bathroom. I'm not sure what happened to the t-shirt after that. When Sibanda came back from the bathroom the t-shirt was already gone."

Mtetwa then asked him why his colleague had said otherwise.

"I don't know if he was lying when he said he was the one who took the t-shirt. Maybe he took it from the bathroom and put it on the bed. It wasn't hidden; but I'm the one who washed the t-shirt.

"He (Sibanda) could have washed it for a second time. I didn't show the t-shirt to the hospital staff before I washed it."

Mugari said he was instructed to wash the t-shirt by Mubaiwa and couldn't refuse due to fear of victimisation.

He added that he saw blood stains on the right side of the t-shirt Chiwenga was wearing on the day Mubaiwa allegedly forcefully removed the intravenous injections.

The case was postponed to April 25 after Mtetwa finished cross examining Mugari.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

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