ESTRANGED wife to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, ordered a jeweller to make US$15 000 worth of wedding rings during her preparation for the wedding she allegedly lied that the Vice President had consented to at a time he was hospitalised in India sometime in June 2019, a court heard yesterday.
Colonel Gesham Muradzi, who was employed as an
administrator in the Vice President’s Office during that time, yesterday told
the court that Mubaiwa called him while she was in India with VP Chiwenga and
asked him to pay US$15 000 to a jeweller located at Newlands Shopping Centre in
Harare for the rings.
He said this while testifying in a matter where Mubaiwa is
alleged to have misrepresented that the VP had consented to a wedding with her.
“In 2019 they were in India when Honourable General CGD
Chiwenga was not feeling well. She called me asking how much money I had in the
office,” he said.
“I told her that I had US$23 000, which was left in my
custody by Vice President Chiwenga. The money was for looking at affairs at his
farm and his children during the time he would be away.
“She then asked me to take $15 000 and give brother Mike.
She indicated that brother Mike from Alpha Jewellery will call me. I later
phoned him to collect the money from the office.”
Col Muradzi said he had not spoken to VP Chiwenga as he was
hospitalised.
He said after some days, he was then asked to go and
collect “a parcel” from brother Mike, which he said was wrapped in an envelope.
“Whenever he leaves the country, he would give us
instructions on how to use the money, but this time around, he had not. In this
case, he was not feeling well and could not talk. I was then instructed to go
and collect parcels from brother Mike. It was now in July and they were now in
South Africa,” he said.
Col Muradzi said he was instructed by Mubaiwa to hand over
the parcel to Carrington Kazingizi, their driver, who was travelling to South
Africa.
A jeweller, who also testified in the matter, told the
court that he was given an order to make wedding rings at his company sometime
in June 2019.
Mr Devon Peter Stewart, said he was given an order to make
diamond and white gold rings for Mubaiwa and VP Chiwenga.
Although he was not privy of details of who made the order
for the rings, Mr Stewart said the order came through his in-law and workmate
only identified as brother Mike.
“I was given a job order to make the diamond and white
gold. I do not know about the money that was paid as Mike was handling that. I
was just given an order to make rings,” he said.
Mr Stewart said he never spoke to VP Chiwenga or Mubaiwa
during the time he was given the job.
Kazingizi, who was employed as a driver for the Vice
President family, confirmed that he took the rings to South Africa where he
gave them to Mubaiwa.
He said he was not aware of Mubaiwa’s wedding plans and
never got the opportunity to talk to VP Chiwenga when he was seeking medication
in South Africa.
“When the parcel got to me at the airport, I opened the
envelope which contained two rings and took them to South Africa,” he said.
Victoria Falls magistrate Miss Linda Dzvene, who was the
then personal assistant to former Chief Magistrate Justice Munamato Mutevedzi,
also testified.
Ms Dzvene said she was given some national identification
particulars of VP Chiwenga and those of Mubaiwa by Justice Mutevedzi for her to
fill in the marriage licence book and marriage certificate application form.
She confirmed that she was the one who completed the
marriage licence book upon instructions from her boss.
“I wrote the marriage licence. Sometime in June 2019. Mr
Mutevedzi came with IDs of Marry Mubaiwa and VP Chiwenga and I had instructions
to record what was on the ID and filled the marriage licence book. What was
left was signatures and their witnesses,” she said.
The matter is expected to continue today with four more
State witnesses testifying. Magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube heard the testimonies
while Mr Tafara Chirambira and Mrs Netsai Mushayabasa appeared for the State.
Ms Beatrice Mtetwa represented Mubaiwa. Herald
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