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Prosper Dembedza-Herald Correspondent
A 40-year-old specialist neurologist Lennon Tonderai Gwaunza has been found guilty of blackmailing another senior specialist neurologist, accusing him of not being qualified, with the prosecution seeking a heavy fine rather than a jail term for the sentence.
Gwaunza, who is on US$100 bail, was convicted of contravening the Data Protection Act by Harare magistrate Mr Tawedzerwa Zishiri after district public prosecutor, Mr Tafara Chirambira, proved he was in the wrong.
In mitigation, Gwaunza said he was a first offender and apologised for the act.
He said it was his intention to embarrass the complainant.
In aggravation, Mr Chirambira said while a custodial sentence would be too harsh, the court should come up with a fine that hits Gwaunza’s pockets hard.
The trial adjourned to January 20, 2025 for sentence.
It was the State’s case that, the complainant, Dr Andrew Mataruse, practices clinical neurology and internal medicine as a specialist physician registered as such by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe ( MDPCZ).
Dr Mataruse holds several post-graduate qualifications that ensured such registration as a specialist physician.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) 2023, Fellow of the European Board of Neurology from the European Board of Neurology 2021, Specialist Certificate in Clinical Neurology from the Royal College Physician (UK 2019), Mater of Science Clinical Neurology from the University of London (UCL 2017), Fellow of the College of Physician (ESCA) 2016, Master of Medicine (Zimbabwe) 2014 and a Diploma in Mental Health (Zimbabwe) 2010.
The court heard that on February 13, 2022, Gwaunza unlawfully and intentionally generated a data message using his electronic mail address, namely lennongwauza.13@alumni.ucl.ac.uk, with the information that said: “I was volunteering at Pari and I have from immediate effect relinquished that role, so I will be unable to supervise Dr Mushawarima. Secondly Dr Mushawarima is a fully fledged neurologist who doesn’t need to be supervised by myself or by Dr Mataruse who isn’t a clinically-trained neurologist.
“However, if council feels it’s in Dr Mushawarima’s interest that he is supervised by someone who has never seen the entrance of a neurology training centre, please, by all means, go ahead. I will not be involved in that circus,” the message said.
It was the State’s case that Gwaunza then unlawfully and intentionally shared the e-mail with Julian Mashingaidze of the MDPCZ administrative staff, Dr Tawanda Mushawarima, former MDPCZ registrar Josephine Mwatukuya, Bishop Manyangadze of the MDPCZ administrative staff, and Dr Mataruse himself.
The court heard that Gwaunza’s criminal intention was to intimidate and harass Dr Mataruse from clinical neurology at his surgery in Milton Park, Harare.
daniel chigunwe
