The double life of ‘Doctor’ Prosper Vanhuvaone

22 Sep, 2024 - 00:09 0 Views
The double life of ‘Doctor’ Prosper Vanhuvaone Taurai Prosper Vanhuvaone

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
TRAINERS and fitness instructors at some of Bulawayo’s most popular fitness studios were confounded when Prosper Mpofu (real name Taurai Prosper Vanhuvaone) was exposed as the fake doctor who had reportedly swindled an unsuspecting woman of $200.

They knew Vanhuvaone only as a gym-loving young man who had a peculiar habit of always working only on his upper body when he visited the gym.

They were shocked at reports that he had been practicing as a medical doctor for a while. This seemed implausible because Vanhuvaone had taken a nurse aide course only a few years ago.

“It was a shock to see that he was the fake doctor that everyone was raving about,” said a gym instructor at a local gym who spoke to Sunday News on condition of anonymity.

“Around 2020, he started doing a nurse aide course so we were now wondering how he had somehow managed to get qualifications as a doctor in such a short space of time. Everyone here did not know about him as a medical professional. I think this was his identity for those outside of the gymnasiums.”

While they were surprised by news that Vanhuvaone had been masquerading as a medical practitioner, they were not shocked that he was being accused of some criminality.

According to the gym instructor, Vanhuvaone had in the past been reportedly thrown out of two workout spots for allegedly stealing property that belonged to other members. He is said to have a particular liking for people’s mobile phones.

“He was thrown out of Barberton and Dynamics because he allegedly stole people’s phones while they were working out. He is someone who was accused of taking another person’s shirt in the gym.

“In the beginning, I used to train him but after I realised that he was a suspected thief, I let him go. This is why it is not surprising for me that he did something like this because he is capable of doing anything,” said the gym instructor.

Vanhuvaone seemed to have carefully compartmentalised his life, showing only certain aspects of his character to specific groups. On social media, he advertised himself as an “alpha male”, who lived most of his life in the gym.

Alpha male refers to the new breed of fitness-obsessed young men who are disciples of Andrew Tate, an American-British social media personality who has been accused of spreading a gospel of toxic masculinity to his followers.

Following a trend set by Tate, Vanhuvaone on his Instagram biography refers to himself as a stoic alpha male. While most of his content showcases his well-sculptured body, there is no mention or reference to his claimed profession.

“People at the gym would laugh at you if you told them that he is a doctor. We just knew him as a guy that sold muscle drugs to some of our patrons,” said the instructor.

Others, who knew Vanhuvaone from his formative years were even more surprised at the allegations against him. They wondered what had gone wrong to a young man, who had once upon a time been a dedicated choirboy and aspiring musician.

Once known as a devout member of the Salvation Army, some are wondering when he got enlisted into the battalion of men and women who swindle hard-working people for a living.

“Those who knew him from his earlier days are shocked because this is not the young man they knew growing up. We always thought of him as someone who would continue walking a righteous path,” said a church member.

According to another gym instructor who had been following him, recently said Vanhuvaone, who attended Emganwini Secondary School and Hamilton High School, seemed to have put his days as a choir boy well behind him over the last few years.

He had taken to imitating the movement of doctors who frequent the city’s bars almost daily when they are on call. The difference is that while the city’s doctors moved in groups, Vanhuvaone was a “lone ranger” who mostly kept to himself. The instructor said that he suspected that Vanhuvaone had started noticing the movement and habits of doctors when he was doing his nurse aide course.

“He was drinking every day and you would never fail to find him at a bar, drinking ciders mostly like most doctors do. He also started wearing glasses like most of them do, something that he did not do when he first started coming to the gym,” said the instructor.

The instructor said it was rumoured that Vanhuvaone had a twin brother based in Harare, who was a genuine medical doctor.

“We think he was using the fact that his brother is an actual doctor to convince people that he is also one. It is unfortunate because his brother, as far as we know, is someone who does things legitimately.”

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