Chipo Makoni

Chipo Mujuru Makoni, then an unlicensed driver, was behind the wheel of a Toyota Land Cruiser VX registration number AAT 9900 registered to Joice Mujuru who was then Vice President. She rammed the Toyota Corolla sedan with the Hamidzadehs on the side.

The impact sent the corolla flying onto the side of the road and Hamidzadeh’s youngest son, aged two months, was thrown from the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries 30 minutes after admission at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

The driver died on the spot, while Chipo was whisked from the scene by a security team, ostensibly acting on the instructions of her mother who was in Dubai at the time.

The accident occurred near the Harare Central Remand Prison entrance along Enterprise Road.

Police officers from Highlands Police Station attended the scene and recorded the accident the normal way noting the driver as Chipo Mujuru Makoni, and the owner of the offending vehicle as Vice President Joice Mujuru.

Chipo failed to produce a driver’s licence, only to bring one, two weeks later which was suspected to have been expeditiously acquired in the intervening period.

When the Hamidzadehs made a follow-up at Highlands police, they discovered that the accident report had been significantly altered with the driver now listed as Chipo Makoni only, while the ownership of the vehicle had been changed to Government, a clear attempt to remove any link to the Mujuru name.

Highlands police told Dr Hamidzadeh, who was always in the company of the then Iranian ambassador Rasoul Momeni, that his case was now being handled by Mabvuku traffic, and he reportedly made over 30 trips to Mabvuku Police Station and was not assisted as the officers there became very evasive.

It was after Dr Hamidzadeh threatened to appeal outside Zimbabwe for justice, that the police wrote to him on June 20 2014 informing him that the matter was resolved on May 14 that same year.

In a letter signed by Senior Assistant Commissioner Simon Nyathi, Dr Hamidzadeh was advised that the driver who they did not name was charged with culpable homicide and fined US$800 for the offence. Part of the letter read:

"Investigations were carried out and I wish to advise that the matter has since been finalized. The accused in the road accident appeared before a Harare magistrate court on 14 May 2014. She was convicted on two counts of contravening section 49 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9: 23 “Culpable Homicide. Accused was sentenced to US$800 or 12 months imprisonment with labour for each count. In addition, accused was prohibited from driving for 6 months. In view of the above, the matter is now finalized."

Dr Hamidzadeh's family was not called to court as witnesses. On May 2 2013, Chipo Mujuru Makoni paid US$7500 to Kantharia Insurance Brokers towards meeting the replacement of the Toyota Corolla that was written off in the accident. Dr Hamidzadeh only received US$5500 as part of the money was converted to personal use by the Insurance Company.

Dr Hamidzadeh refused to comment on the matter when contacted by The Herald saying he would need to seek permission from the Iranian ambassador for him to talk to the Press.^[2]

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