News / National
Nyandoro faces Mamombe legal action
9 hrs ago | Views
Opposition CCC MP Joana Mamombe (right) with her lawyer Alec Muchadehama.
Southerton MP Bridget Nyandoro has landed herself in serious legal trouble after failing to meet a 10-day deadline to pay US$100,000 in damages, retract defamatory statements, and issue an unconditional apology to her fellow Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) MP, Joana Mamombe.
The deadline, which lapsed today, had been set through a letter from Mamombe’s legal representatives, Mbidzo, Muchadehama & Makoni. In the letter, Mamombe demanded compensation and a full retraction following a series of highly damaging statements made by Nyandoro on social media. The two were once close friends before their relationship soured dramatically.
Nyandoro had accused Mamombe of multiple serious allegations, including abusing political office for personal gain, illegal land deals involving residential stands on Harare wetlands, nepotism at Harare City Council, and immoral personal conduct. She also claimed Mamombe faked her own abduction after a dispute with a boyfriend - a reference to a highly publicised incident involving Mamombe and two other female activists.
Mamombe, through her lawyers, described the accusations as "defamatory and malicious," claiming they portrayed her as "unreliable, dishonest, violent, a liar, a thief, and of loose morals." The legal letter demanded Nyandoro pay damages, retract her statements with the same level of prominence they initially received, and issue an apology.
"We are instructed to demand as we hereby do payment of the said USD100,000 not later than 10 days of this letter," read part of the letter. "Further, our client demands that you withdraw all defamatory articles from social media, retract them in equal prominence, and cease publishing any further defamatory content."
With the deadline expiring today and no response or retraction from Nyandoro, Mamombe confirmed to The NewsHawks that legal action will now proceed.
"Today is the deadline as she was given 10 days from the 16th of April. She hasn’t responded or retracted, and we are now going ahead with the lawsuit," Mamombe said.
The case is poised to set an important new precedent regarding defamation on social media platforms in Zimbabwe. A notable similar case involved lawyer and author Petina Gappah, who was successfully sued by fellow opposition activist Fadzayi Mahere over defamatory social media posts - resulting in a heavy legal and financial penalty for Gappah.
As the political and personal fallout between Mamombe and Nyandoro escalates into a courtroom battle, the Zimbabwean political scene watches closely for the potential ripple effects on how politicians and public figures use - or abuse - social media.
The deadline, which lapsed today, had been set through a letter from Mamombe’s legal representatives, Mbidzo, Muchadehama & Makoni. In the letter, Mamombe demanded compensation and a full retraction following a series of highly damaging statements made by Nyandoro on social media. The two were once close friends before their relationship soured dramatically.
Nyandoro had accused Mamombe of multiple serious allegations, including abusing political office for personal gain, illegal land deals involving residential stands on Harare wetlands, nepotism at Harare City Council, and immoral personal conduct. She also claimed Mamombe faked her own abduction after a dispute with a boyfriend - a reference to a highly publicised incident involving Mamombe and two other female activists.
Mamombe, through her lawyers, described the accusations as "defamatory and malicious," claiming they portrayed her as "unreliable, dishonest, violent, a liar, a thief, and of loose morals." The legal letter demanded Nyandoro pay damages, retract her statements with the same level of prominence they initially received, and issue an apology.
"We are instructed to demand as we hereby do payment of the said USD100,000 not later than 10 days of this letter," read part of the letter. "Further, our client demands that you withdraw all defamatory articles from social media, retract them in equal prominence, and cease publishing any further defamatory content."
With the deadline expiring today and no response or retraction from Nyandoro, Mamombe confirmed to The NewsHawks that legal action will now proceed.
"Today is the deadline as she was given 10 days from the 16th of April. She hasn’t responded or retracted, and we are now going ahead with the lawsuit," Mamombe said.
The case is poised to set an important new precedent regarding defamation on social media platforms in Zimbabwe. A notable similar case involved lawyer and author Petina Gappah, who was successfully sued by fellow opposition activist Fadzayi Mahere over defamatory social media posts - resulting in a heavy legal and financial penalty for Gappah.
As the political and personal fallout between Mamombe and Nyandoro escalates into a courtroom battle, the Zimbabwean political scene watches closely for the potential ripple effects on how politicians and public figures use - or abuse - social media.
Source - online
