Police investigators into alleged threats against a Parirenyatwa General Hospital psychiatrist Dr Ropafadzo Muzvidziwa have revealed that unknown men who visited her workplace ordered the Doctor to distance herself from the matter involving Pokugara Properties managing director Michael John Van Blerk who is facing allegations of malicious damage to property.
Dr. Muzvidziwa was assigned by the court to examine Van Blerk whose trial for malicious damage to property had stalled at the Harare Magistrates Court due to his ill health.
But following Dr. Muzvidziwa’s declaration that Van Blerk was now fit to stand trial, State Prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga told the court that she was threatened and warned to stay away from the matter.
This forced Harare Magistrate Esther Chivasa to order a police investigation into the threats against Dr. Muzvidziwa.
Van Blerk together with City of Harare officials is facing charges of malicious damage to property after destroying a show house that had been constructed by land developer George Katsimberis in a botched joint venture.
According investigations by Detective Precious Temba from the ZRP Anti-Corruption Unit the unidentified suspects visited Parirenyatwa Hospital (Annex Unit) and met Gambiza Nondunduzo, a nurse asking for Dr Muzvidziwa saying they wanted to warn her against involving herself in Van Blerk’s case as he was “munhu waPresident”.
Detective Temba said Nonduduzo and Van Blerk’s wife could not figure out who the men who threatened Dr Muzvidziwa were.
Temba said the next step would be to seek a warrant of search and seizure to establish if the perpetrators ever tried to call the complainant on the day in question.
“Nothing fruitful came up yet. Complainant and witnesses stated that they cannot identify the accused persons even if they meet them. Complainant did not receive any calls or had missed calls on the day in question.
“Outstanding is to make a warrant of search and seizure to establish if the perpetrators ever attempted to call the Complainant on the day in question,” said Temba.
