Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
TWO people who allegedly performed an unlawful surgical procedure to remove a goitre from a 51-year-old woman who later died have appeared before the Chitungwiza Magistrates’ Court facing murder charges.
Douglas Mutoredzanwa of Warren Park D and Perpetua Mataba of Unit D, Chitungwiza, were not asked to plead when they appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Evelyn Mashavakure.
They were remanded in custody to October 8.
The deceased, Margaret Gwamura, was from Njenje Village under Chief Mangwende in Murehwa.
The State, represented by Ms Talent Goremusandu, alleges that on September 24, between 1pm and 6pm, Mutoredzanwa, who allegedly claimed to be a medical doctor, invited Gwamura, who was suffering from a goitre, to Mataba’s homestead, where the procedure was to be performed.
Upon arrival, the court heard, Mutoredzanwa asked Mataba to provide buckets of water and instructed Gwamura to sit on the ground under a shed.
Mutoredzanwa allegedly administered two injections to Gwamura’s neck before using a surgical razor blade to remove the goitre.
The growth was allegedly placed in a plastic bag.
The State alleges that Gwamura then began bleeding heavily from the wound.
Mutoredzanwa allegedly tried to stop the bleeding by applying cotton wool and a bandage to the wound before putting her on a drip.
However, his efforts allegedly failed to stop the bleeding.
The court heard that Mutoredzanwa then left the scene, allegedly abandoning Gwamura as she lay on the ground.
Relatives who were present reportedly noticed that Mutoredzanwa had left and made several attempts to contact him on his mobile phone, but he allegedly did not answer their calls. The relatives, together with Mataba, then alerted the police.
Police attended the scene and found Gwamura lying on the ground with no signs of life.
