adminRay Bande Senior Reporter
STATEMENTS by medical practitioners, missing in the docket of the Hartzell High school teacher who allegedly slept with a Form Two inmate at Fairfield Orphanage and infected her with a serious sexually transmitted disease have delayed prosecution of the case at the Mutare Magistrate’s Court. The case was set to appear before the courts last Thursday, but the State could not proceed after discovering that statements from medical practitioners who treated the minor of the STI had not yet been recorded, exactly two weeks after the State had issued an instruction for that to be done.
An Advanced Level Science teacher, William Mukwindidza is alleged to have infected an orphan (name withheld) with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). PID is one of the most serious complications of a sexually transmitted disease in women.
Today, The Manica Post can reveal that on October 15 the State, through Mutare prosecutor, Mr Andrew Motsi, instructed police at Penhalonga to record statements from the medical practitioners who treated the minor, but the errand had not yet been done by October 29, despite that it is less than 5km from Penhalonga Police Station to Hartzell High.
“May (you) please record statements from Moleen Gombarume, a social worker. You can verify her location through Fairfield Children’s home. Also record statements from clinic officials, Dr Manyesa or Dr Mutsaa for reference that she was indeed treated for sexual transmitted problems after the abuse,” reads the State’s instructions on the docket signed on October 15.
When the matter was supposed to appear in court on October 29 (last Thursday), the investigating officer was said to have not yet recorded the said statements owing to other commitments. “Docket is referred for another court date. The I.O (investigation officer) failed to serve all the parties owing to other commitments,” reads the latest update on the docket.
The case has since been postponed to November 18 when Mukwindidza is expected to appear the court for contravening Section 70 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (having sexual intercourse with a minor).
Repeated efforts to get a comment from police in Manicaland were fruitless as the man tasked to liaise with the media, acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Luxson Chananda, remained elusive.
From Monday up to Wednesday when this newspaper went to bed, Asst Insp Chananda kept pledging to furnish this newspaper with details on police efforts to bring this case to finality.
In fact, on Wednesday when this reporter called for the umpteenth time, Asst Insp Chananda kept this reporter holding the line for close to 20 minutes before being told that he had gone for a meeting. The incident which reportedly happened early this year was only reported to the police on September 22 under CR 48/9/15.
Mutasa District Education Officer, Mr Zachariah Chikwangwani, confirmed that they were also investigating the case, but could only conclude their proceedings after the legal route was exhausted.
“We are also investigating the case. Like I said before, it is true that Mukwindidza allegedly slept with a Form Two orphan at Fairfield Orphanage. At the moment we can only wait until the legal route is exhausted then we can be able to find our way forward as a parent ministry,” said Mr Chikwangwani.
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