adminFungai Lupande Harare Bureau
A 29-YEAR-OLD man was yesterday fined $100 for insulting Buhera South legislator, Cde Joseph Chinotimba, on a WhatsApp chat group.
Tatenda Benjamin Machingauta, 29, used his Econet SIM card to send a message which read, “Voetsek (get lost) Chinotimba, long bushy beard” directed at Cde Chinotimba.
Machingauta pleaded with Cde Chinotimba for forgiveness for the insult.
“I want to apologise to Cde Chinotimba. I did send the insulting message but I’d no idea I was sending to him.
“I’m not the administrator of that WhatsApp group. I directed the insult to a number bearing the name Joseph Chinotimba but knowing that people don’t use their real names on the chat group, I never thought that it was actually him.”
He pleaded guilty to charges of contravening the Postal and Telecommunication Act which prohibits sending of insulting or annoying messages over the phone.
Harare magistrate, Vakayi Chikwekwe, fined Machingauta $100 or one month in prison.
In passing sentence, Chikwekwe considered that Machingauta was a first offender who showed contrition by pleading guilty.
“But against this background, you insulted an Honourable man. Cases of insults through social media are prevalent,” said Chikwekwe.
“However, I can only deal with the facts before the court. The State is reminded that there are no facts indicating that the President was insulted.”
He added that imprisonment would be harsh to the accused.
In aggravation, prosecutor Sharon Mashavira said the insults were politically motivated.
“What’s aggravating is that the insults are between a WhatsApp group called Gammatox and Zanu-PF,” she said.
“They’re putting the names of political leaders in disrepute through the insults. President Mugabe is also being insulted by this WhatsApp group,” she said.
“These insults can incite violence. A short and sharp sentence would be appropriate.”
Machingauta, of Delport Road, Chinamano in Epworth, invited Cde Chinotimba to a WhatsApp chat group called Comfighter.
Political messages and comments were traded among group members.
On June 15 at around 7AM, Cde Chinotimba advised Machingauta to remove him from the chat group. Machingauta then sent him the insulting message.
Online Reporter