HARARE — A specialist neurologist was charged Wednesday with violating the Data Protection Act for allegedly blackmailing a colleague who practices clinical neurology and internal medicine.
Lennon Tonderai Gwaunza, 40, appeared before magistrate Apollonia Marutya, who released him on $100 bail and set a trial date for January 22 Gwaunza was ordered not to interfere with witnesses or post anything about the complainant, Andrew Mataruse.
According to the prosecution, Gwaunza sent an email on Feb. 13 to several staff members of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe, where he claimed that Mataruse was not a clinically trained neurologist. He also said he would not supervise another neurologist, Tawanda Mushawarima, who he said did not need Mataruse’s guidance.
The email, which was also sent to Mataruse, read in part: “I will not be involved in that circus.”
The prosecution said Gwaunza’s intention was to intimidate and harass Mataruse and prevent him from performing clinical neurology duties at his surgery in Milton Park, Harare.
