Property belonging to Zimbabwean vice-president Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa has been seized by South African authorities.
Mubaiwa’s R14 million upmarket Pretoria home and two Range Rover SUVs are included in the property. Pretoria high court judge Aubrey Ledwaba issued a ruling on February 9 allowing SA authorities to seize the property pending forfeiture to the Zimbabwean government.
“A preservation order is granted with immediate effect in terms of section 38(2) of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act of 1998 (Poca) preserving the property identified,” according to a portion of the court ruling.
“That the SA Police Service (SAPS) Brooklyn police station … seize the property … to be kept for safekeeping at Pretoria west pound until the outcome of the forfeiture proceedings to be instituted in terms of section 48 of the act.”
Mubaiwa, a former model, is fighting a slew of court cases. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) charged her with fraud, money laundering, and foreign currency externalisation. The country’s anti-corruption body said in a statement that it had applied to SA authorities to seize the property pending forfeiture.
ZACC said, “SA authorities have been granted a preservation order by Pretoria high court judge Aubrey Ledwaba to seize, pending forfeiture, an upmarket house and two Range Rovers belonging to Marry Mubaiwa.
The order was granted after an application for mutual legal assistance made by ZACC through the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to South African authorities. ZACC is committed to ensuring that any proceeds of corruption stashed anywhere in the world are recovered as part of its unrelenting fight against corruption.”