Power, corruption and misogyny : The Marry Chiwenga case

Marry Chiwenga  (Image credit: Munashe Chokodza/263 Chat)

They say power corrupts and corrupts absolutely. If that cliche was ever doubted, events unfolding in Zimbabwe this past week have proved it. The ruling elite in Zimbabwe have consistently stuck to their past hypocrisy of yielding their power to the vulnerable, if not by shootings or police beatings then arrests and incarceration is their alternative. At the just ended, ZANU PF congress, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga mentioned that those fingered in corruption no matter whom they knew would face the wrath of the law. Hardly 48 hours after his remark, who would have guessed that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) would arrest his wife or should I saysoon to be ex-wife.

The arrest of Marry Chiwenga nee Mubaiwa, turns out to be the most high profile arrest since ZACC caught and released another female victim, in former Tourism Minister Priscilla Mupfumira. Although something about the arrest and timing  of Marry seems to reveal a personal driven scorn and how those in power selectively apply the law in Zimbabwe. Numerous reports in the Zimbabwean media quickly desisted from referring to Marry with the Vice President’s surname reverting to her maiden name. Her charge sheet ranged from money laundering, fraud to externalization of a million US dollars and the attempted murder of the vice president. How she managed to externalize such a huge amount of foreign currency in a country that is in short supply of money is not a surprise but a realization of how those in power have access to the greenback, with the masses only scrapping for the useless bond notes. Unlike the Zimbabwean press that has chosen to vilify her on these allegations, I still believe in the mantra innocent until proven guilty.

On social media, it seems that we have all forgotten to question how the VP’s ex-wife got hold of such cash and managed to take it outside of the country, well you do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that those in power easily access such funds and are seemingly above the law. This is why corruption is the cause of Zimbabwe’s economic demise. On the other hand, if Marry had not clashed with the VP, we would never have known of the funds she had moved out of the country. Her proximity to the VP would surely have enabled her to make a few calls to transact in such amounts. Paul Mangwana once said ZANU PF controls the system and the system is ruthless you can never fight the system with your bare hands. This is exactly what has happened to Marry, they knew her flaws and now the system is fighting her by exposing her flaws, she will be humiliated and dragged down spending Christmas at the mercy of the very system she helped propel in November 2017 on the side of the General who has now chosen to bring her down.

Where are the sisters, the female activists, women civic organisations, where are they as one of them is pulled down by a man she loved and had children for, where are they? It’s sad that women have not spoken in support of Marry whose image is quickly being dragged into the mud by virtue of her association with a man. The very man she chose to have a family with, is now accusing her of plotting to murder him. Have you ever wondered what else does Marry know that we do not? Is this another catch and release by ZACC? I don’t think so, which man sends the mother of her children to prison over personal differences? Is it just personal differences or she did in fact try to poison her husband in an SA hospital? Was the issue ever reported to the authorities in SA or at the hospital the VP was receiving treatment? All these questions deserve answers, I still believe in innocent until proven guilty, hey correct me not, but will Marry even get a fair trial now that she is at odds with the second in command in the country. The levels of misogyny, irony and hypocrisy surrounding this mercy separation is incredible. Not only are we a polarized nation, but weseem to be ignorant of the corruption at the top and how women such as Marry have fallen victim because of their differences with those at the top.

Shame on us, signing out GenerationX18