Harare woman fined for cyberbullying

A Harare woman has been fined US$120 after being convicted of cyberbullying her neighbour, whom she accused of being a prostitute and a husband-snatcher in a text message.

Media Mashiri was found guilty by Harare provincial magistrate Mr Gamuchirai Gore on Wednesday and handed the fine, with an alternative sentence of 45 days in prison should she fail to pay.

The court heard that on May 10, 2025, Mashiri sent a defamatory text message to her neighbour, Babra Maruza, alleging that she was a prostitute who habitually stole other women's husbands. The message, according to the State, also described Maruza as a liar, evil-hearted, and a woman of loose morals.

Prosecutor Mrs Mandirasa Chigumira told the court that the message sparked a heated argument between Maruza and her husband, leaving the complainant emotionally distressed, humiliated, and degraded.

The incident led Maruza to file a police report, resulting in Mashiri's arrest and prosecution under cyberbullying laws.

In handing down judgment, Magistrate Gore emphasized that cyberbullying is a serious offence with potentially long-lasting psychological consequences. He underscored the need for communities to promote respect, dignity, and peaceful co-existence, particularly in the digital space.

The case is one of the latest under Zimbabwe's Cyber and Data Protection Act, which criminalises online abuse and malicious communications.