Mpilo Hospital "Fake Doctor" Taurai Vanhuvaone No Stranger To Controversy
Taurai Prosper Vanhuvaone, also known as Prosper Mpofu, who was recently arrested for allegedly posing as a medical doctor at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, was involved in a violent altercation two years ago.
Vanhuvaone was granted US$100 bail by a Bulawayo magistrate last week after the State found no compelling reasons to deny him bail.
He was ordered to reside at his given address, report to the police once a week, and not interfere with State witnesses pending a court session on October 7.
However, he was spotted at Mpilo Central Hospital again on Monday, leading to his arrest.
According to B-Metro, in November 2022, the 29-year-old went on a rampage after suspecting that his pregnant girlfriend, Abercy “Spongy” Chishapira, was cheating on him—a suspicion that was confirmed.
Vanhuvaone, whose name means “people should see,” violently attacked two men he caught with his girlfriend at a city lodge and a flat.
He assaulted Erick Gumbo from Nkulumane suburb after finding him with Chishapira, threatening to cut off his manhood in the process.
He also confronted Butholenkosi Gula Ndebele, delivering brutal blows to his face, chest, neck, and back after finding him with Chishapira at Ndebele’s flat.
The altercation escalated when Vanhuvaone struck Ndebele with a guitar, breaking it into pieces, and smashed the screen of his 55-inch Samsung TV.
Following these incidents, Vanhuvaone was arrested and appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Musaiwona Shotgame, facing two counts of assault and one count of malicious damage to property.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted based on overwhelming evidence.
In an attempt to avoid jail time, Vanhuvaone falsely presented himself as a fifth-year medical student during mitigation, claiming he was dedicated to healing people and making significant contributions to society.
The magistrate, seemingly impressed by his fabricated credentials, considered leniency, reasoning that a custodial sentence would deprive society of a valuable asset.
Ultimately, Vanhuvaone received a non-custodial sentence. For the first two counts of assault, he was fined $70,000 (or seven months in jail), with ten months’ imprisonment suspended for five years, contingent on good behaviour.
For the malicious damage to property charge, he was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, five months of which were suspended for five years under the same condition.
The remaining five months were suspended on the condition that he compensated Ndebele with US$1,100 for the damaged property.
In his defence, Vanhuvaone claimed that Gumbo had throttled him, prompting his retaliation.
He asserted that during the struggle with Ndebele, the latter fell onto the TV. He denied deliberately damaging any items, stating that when Ndebele attempted to hit him with the guitar, he dodged it, leading to the accidental damage.
More: Pindula News
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