HARARE-Prosecutors in the on-going trail of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa have applied to the Harare magistrate court to tender evidence of a deceased witness through an affidavit.

By Tracy Mazhura

Michael Reza told magistrate Lazini Ncube that the evidence of the now deceased Michael Luztidice should be accepted as he was the one who was responsible for the manufacture of wedding rings for the Vice President and his estranged wife without the consent of the former army commander.

 The now deceased Michael was a jeweler and he allegedly measured the fingers of two in preparation of the rings.

But the defence team led by Beatrice Mtetwa objected to the production of the affidavit saying it could be validated.

“This statement by prosecution is conflicting with the actual events as the time Michael states that he was invited by Mubaiwa during that time Mubaiwa was in India, ‘’argued Mtetwa.

“Death in Zimbabwe is not death until you present a death certificate” Mtetwa said.

Mubaiwa is accused of fraudulently trying to procure registration or upgrade of her marriage to Chiwenga from an unregistered union to a marriage under the Marriage Act [Chapter 5:11] by misrepresenting to the marriage officer that her husband had consented to the registration, well knowing the same to be false.

Through the alleged misrepresentation, she allegedly induced the then Acting Chief Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi to prepare marriage licences and complete the marriage register in preparation to solemnise the marriage at a private ceremony at the couple’s Borrowdale residence.

So far twelve witnesses have testified so far in Mary Chiwenga’s case including the estranged husband however prosecution argues that the statement they are tendering as evidence is not supposed to be omitted in then trial.

Chiwenga has been in and out of the courts since last year. She has other charges yet to stand trial for and these include, attempted murder, fraud, money laundering and violence.