Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi has dismissed an appeal by a Bulawayo man who masqueraded as a doctor at Mpilo Hospital after he sought to have his prison sentences run concurrently, which would have reduced his effective 42-month jail term.
Taurai Prosper Vanhuvaone, who was 29 at the time of the offences, was convicted in 2025 of fraud, impersonating a medical professional and unlawfully prescribing medication.
He was sentenced to seven years (84 months) in prison, with part of the sentence suspended on condition that he restitute the victims he had duped, leaving an effective 42-month jail term.
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Vanhuvaone, who used the alias Prosper Mpofu, appealed against the sentence through his legal representative, Dr Tanaka Muganyi of Tanaka Law Chambers, represented by Tinashe Runganga.
However, Justice Mutevedzi dismissed the appeal, saying the State had been lenient in the sentence it had sought.
“The prosecutors were very lenient with the appellant. He was a lucky man. What he did is no different from practising law without qualification, duping desperate people in need of services,” Justice Mutevedzi said.
The judge rejected Vanhuvaone’s argument that the sentences should have been served concurrently.
“One of the grounds of appeal is that you want the appellant to have the sentences served concurrently. There is no law stipulating such. That was a discretion of the court, and you don’t appeal against a discretion. These offences were not concurrent; they were committed over years,” Justice Mutevedzi said.
Justice Mutevedzi said Vanhuvaone’s conduct posed a serious danger to the public, given that he had allegedly spent years attending to patients and prescribing medication despite having no medical qualifications.
“He was lucky to get only 42 months. He had been going to that hospital for years, treating patients and prescribing medication. Imagine if it was you, going to the hospital and getting treated by somebody who may not even have an Ordinary Level,” he said.
The judge also criticised Vanhuvaone for allegedly lying about his academic qualifications during the trial.
“We read and re-read that case record. The appellant admitted to the court that he had no qualifications. He tried to lie to the court that he was a student at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). A witness from NUST came and disputed that fact in court. Then he changed and said he was enrolled with a university in South Africa, but no such institution exists. Such people are a danger to society. If he hadn’t been caught, how many more people would have fallen victim?” Justice Mutevedzi said.
During the trial, the lower court heard that Vanhuvaone defrauded a nurse-aide student of US$1 600 after promising to facilitate her attachment at Mpilo Hospital.
In another incident, he issued a fake prescription containing unusual instructions involving lacto and fruits, including apples and grapes. The prescription reportedly raised the suspicions of doctors at the hospital, leading to his exposure.
The court found that Vanhuvaone’s conduct went beyond fraud, as his actions placed patients at risk and undermined public confidence in the medical services provided at Mpilo Hospital.
Justice Mutevedzi’s dismissal means Vanhuvaone’s effective 42-month prison sentence remains in place.
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