'DNA tests rigged,' claims Macheso

Popular musician Alick Macheso says the National Blood Transfusion Services of Zimbabwe (NBTSZ)'s DNA paternity results were 'rigged' because his estranged wife Fortunate Tafadzwa Mapako is one of the directors at the institution.

Last week, NBTSZ released the results of the DNA paternity tests which showed that Macheso was the father of two minor children he sired with Mapako during their four year matrimony.

In a letter dated June 24 2014 written by Macheso's lawyer Norman Mugiya to NBTSZ, the sungura icon said the DNA paternity tests results were questionable as they were made known first to Mapako before he (Macheso) was made aware of the final outcome.

Macheso, through Mugiya, then droped a bombshell, revealing that the results were questionable as Mapako was one of the directors at the NBTSZ.

"We understand that one of the directors at your institution is Mapako and (that) your client had intercepted information which seems to suggest that she has been communicating with your office for the period immediately before the tests and June 18 2014," said the lawyer.

Mugiya argued that the Macheso camp was miffed by the sudden communication between the NBTSZ and Mapako.

"Our client was told that when the results are out they would be sent to his lawyers since it was him who had requested and paid for the process, but to his surprise, the results were also given to Mapako's lawyers after your offices actually phoned them. We do not know where you had gotten their contact details from since all correspondences were between Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers and your office," said Mugiya.

"We have noted that the results were scanned and printed out on the 12th of June 2014 at 11.44am yet the same results were made known to our client on June 19 2014, and Mapako was already aware of results prior to them being made known to our client."

Macheso's lawyer accused the NBTSZ of sitting on the results for a week before they were availed to the sungura musician.

"We have no idea why your office has been sitting on the results from the 12th of June 2014 until they decided to distribute them out to us on the 19th of June 2014.06.24. We doubt if the results were sent to South Africa on the 6th of June as indicated on the scanned copies. If our memories serve us well, the tests were done on the 4th of June 2014 and sent to South Africa on the same day yet the information at hand proves otherwise," he said.

Mugiya demanded that the NBTSZ avail communication between Mapako, an unnamed NBTSZ official and a South African based Unistel Medical  Laboratories - an organisation which scrutinised the blood samples in order to verify the

authenticity of the results the NBTSZ had earlier announced.

Mapako's lawyer Gift Nyandoro said they would be in a position to respond to the allegations today, while no comment could be obtained from the NBTSZ at the time of going to print last night.