Online Reporter
Peter Matika, Senior Reporter
MPILO Central Hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr Narcisius Dzvanga has been subpoenaed to testify in the ongoing trial of Prosper Vanhuvaone who is accused of masquerading as a medical practitioner and defrauding desperate patients.
The court issued the subpoena after repeated requests for Mpilo Hospital officials to appear and clarify the institution’s role, if any, in the case that has shocked the city.
Vanhuvaone who used the alias Prosper Mpofu is accused of operating illegally from within Mpilo Central Hospital for nearly two years. He allegedly attended to patients, prescribed drugs and even extended his fraudulent activities to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
Vanhuvaone is being charged with fraud as defined in Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. The charges relate to misrepresentation, financial gain through deceit and unauthorised practice in a professional field.
Dr Dzvanga’s testimony is expected to shed light on how Vanhuvaone infiltrated the hospital system, set up an office and practised undetected for an extended period.
The trial, presided over by Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Eva Matura, resumes on 24 April.
Vanhuvaone is facing several charges including impersonating a doctor and defrauding multiple individuals. He is also appealing a recent conviction on two counts of fraud, arguing that he was misled by police officers into believing a guilty plea would result in a non-custodial sentence.
Initially granted bail, Vanhuvaone was re-arrested after the State revoked his bail following the conviction. Among the State witnesses is Ms Samantha Ziki, a former girlfriend who claims Vanhuvaone swindled her out of US$1 600 in a scam promising her a place at Mpilo’s School of Nursing.
In court, Vanhuvaone accused Ms Ziki of being a “bitter ex-girlfriend” bent on revenge. He claimed he contributed to part of the money and denied the fraud allegations.
The State, represented by Mr Samuel Mpofu, laid out a timeline of deceit. On 16 September 2023, Vanhuvaone allegedly attended to patients at Mpilo Central Hospital under the guise of being a qualified doctor.
In one case, one Miss Hove sought medical help from Vanhuvaone, only to discover she had been duped after her condition failed to improve, prompting investigations and his subsequent arrest.
Internal investigations at Mpilo Central Hospital revealed that Vanhuvaone had somehow secured office space within the facility and operated under the radar of management and health authorities.
The scandal has raised serious concerns about internal controls at public hospitals, with the subpoenaing of Dr Dzvanga likely to expose weaknesses in the institution’s security and vetting systems.
