MARRY Mubaiwa diverted the entourage that accompanied Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to seek medical attention in South Africa to a hotel instead of going straight to hospital upon their arrival, a court in Harare heard yesterday.
Mubaiwa allegedly instructed the security team accompanying VP Chiwenga to South Africa that he wanted to rest before taking him to hospital.
It then took the security team to use force to take him out of the hotel on the night of the following day, a court heard.
Warrant Officer Warren Sibanda, a nurse at Presidential Guard headquarters hospital, made the revelations while testifying as a State witness in a matter Mubaiwa is charged with attempted murder.
Mubaiwa allegedly tried to kill VP Chiwenga at a time he was seeking medical treatment in South Africa.
She denied the charges when her trial opened before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Feresi Chakanyuka.
“When we got to the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria, we entered through the basement. I thought I was at the hospital.
“I asked my superiors who told me that it was a directive from the accused who said the complainant wanted to rest. The rooms were already booked,” he said. Warrant Officer Sibanda told the court that Vice President Chiwenga asked him why they had taken him to a hotel instead of hospital, but he could not reply.
He told the court that he then went to inform the deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr John Mangwiro, about the Vice President’s concerns.
“After our arrival, the accused went to check on her child in another room and the complainant called me and asked me why we had taken him to the hotel instead of the hospital.
“I could not respond and I went to my superiors. Dr Mangwiro told me that the accused had indicated that the complainant wanted to rest.
“They said she was in control and there was nothing we could do. We spent the night and the following day at the hotel. Then at night we then went to hospital,” Warrant Officer Sibanda said.
He said Mubaiwa shouted at the security team on the evening they wanted to take the Vice President to hospital saying they were disturbing him.
Warrant Officer Sibanda said they had to use force to take him out of the hotel.
“Accused was shouting at everyone saying we were disturbing the complainant who wanted to rest. Force had to be used to take the complainant to hospital,” he said.
Warrant Officer Sibanda told the court that the Vice President did not resist when they wanted to take him to hospital.
He said Mubaiwa remained sleeping at the hotel while they took the Vice President to hospital.
Warrant Officer Sibanda said he provided basic nursing care for the two months the VP stayed in hospital.
He said he never slept at the hotel during the time of their stay in South Africa.
“Accused came to the hospital on June 24. I was doing basic nursing care.
“For the two months I was always by his bedside and never been to the hotel,” Warrant Officer Sibanda said.
He also told the court that Mubaiwa would only visit the Vice President during the night and was always accompanied by one Dr Bruce.
“They would seek privacy. We would then go out of the room,” Warrant officer Sibanda said.
He said one day he asked for permission to go and wash the Vice President’s clothes and only to return to be told that the security team had an altercation with Mubaiwa.
“When I returned, I saw the security team and Nyoni, who was part of security, said they had an altercation with the accused. I then noticed blood stains on the door and the complainant’s T-shirt.
“When I left him, he was in bed. I may not know what had happened,” Warrant officer Sibanda said.
He told the court that after the incident, they started refusing to give Mubaiwa and Dr Bruce exclusive privacy with the Vice President.
Warrant Officer Sibanda said Mubaiwa also delayed Vice President Chiwenga’s flight from South Africa to China where he wanted to seek further treatment.
The matter continues on March 13 when Warrant Officer Sibanda will be cross-examined by Mubaiwa’s lawyer.
Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti and Mrs Tinashe Makiya appeared for the State. – The Herald
