Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Online Reporter
THE administrators of the WhatsApp groups, Byo Men Exposed and Byo Women and Men Exposed that have been raising havoc in Bulawayo have been revealed.
There were three initial administrators for “Bulawayo Men Exposed” with the user name BYO MEN EXPOSED, who created the group on Tuesday at 10.26 AM using a South African phone number, the other ~Mss Pryde using a USA phone number, and ~Slay with Kia using a Zimbabwean number.
It has since been revealed that Mss Pryde, is Pride Mpofu an actress that started her career in Bulawayo and then moved to Harare. She has acted in productions such as Mr Perfect, Cook Off, Mhosva, Not so fast, Wenera, Kuchina and Vhunze.
Mpofu has been in music videos such as Ngaibake by Freeman featuring Alick Macheso, Murder by Jah Prayzah, Ndipe Moyo, Let me fall (both by Tytan) and New Bae by Mr Kata.
She is reportedly working in the USA in the cruise ship industry.
The other administrator is Kiacy Chigudu going by the name Kia, and can be remembered as the whistle girl in 2020 at Smokehouse in Bulawayo.
Chigudu was imitating the #Impembe dance, that was made viral by a South African woman who was blowing a whistle while following closely to the sound of an Amapiano track. The local eatery even posted her video and captioned it Usisi wempembe.
The third administrator using a WhatsApp Business application only goes by the name BYO MEN EXPOSED and their name is Past Johan when checked using True Caller.
In the “Byo Women and Men Exposed the group admins are ~Chubby Nigga, ~Gudo, and ~R all using Zimbabwe phone numbers, and ~Mandla Mpofu using a South African number. The user name ~R created the group as a response to BYO WOMEN AND MEN EXPOSED at 2.24 PM on Tuesday.
Richard Katoma created the group and runs Puzzle Moments Photography and is known in circles as Ricky.
The rules of both groups are no fighting over men, we are all here to find out the truth, if you think you are eating your man alone post his (picture) on view once, whatever happens here stays here, no cyberbullying allowed, no impersonation.
Chigudu, speaking to Chronicle said she was ready to be summoned to the police station to answer questions on her involvement in the whole WhatsApp group saga..
“I’m ready to be called to the police and tell my story to them that I wasn’t part of its creation and I was adding people and it was very unfortunate,” said Chigudu.
“I also like others who joined via a link and I don’t know who created it. I was made admin later to add people who were asking for the link and who couldn’t join the group. I also forwarded the link to other groups.
There is an option as you can’t just join the group, you request, so the admin has to approve for you to join the group. So she made an admin with one other girl with a USA number. So no I was not part of the group being created, I was made an admin which is unfortunate. I never posted any pictures of anyone. I was just accepting people who wanted to join the group, that’s all,” said Chigudu.
She said she did not think things would get out of hand.
“I really didn’t think that things would escalate like this. There were a whole lot of groups that opened afterwards. I think ours have been targeted as females as people were very quick to lean into us. There was someone who messaged one of the group members saying they will be dead within the next 24 hours,” said Chigudu..
“I have been seeing private numbers trying to call me. I have been having colleagues calling me and sending me messages that there are people who are plotting against you and I should be careful.
When Chronicle reached out to Mpofu she just said: “It’s not serious.” and did not answer any questions.
While Chigudu and the anonymous South African number have since left the BYO MEN EXPOSED group, Mpofu still continues as admin and posts pictures of different men.
She is working with a user name UNAH-LERTATO who uses a Zimbabwean number.
Kamota admitted that he created BYO WOMEN AND MEN saying he did so as he could not get into the BYO MEN EXPOSED.
“So I decided to open Byo women and men and people started posting girls asking if they’re dating someone who’s cheating. They were posting views once for protection’s sake I guess. The reason for posting was to also hear what people were saying of girls in Byo and also drama,” said Kamota.
He said he acknowledged the police’s warning.
“The police putting a warning is actually a right thing because in the original group (Byo women exposed) they were now posting married men of which that was extreme.I only saw the gravenes of the situation when I saw an article where the police were giving a warning,” said Kamota, adding he has since left all groups.
Police in Bulawayo on Wednesday warned that cyberbullying is a crime and those administrators of the WhatsApp groups face arrest if they violate the law.
The warning comes amidst a surge in the creation of online communities dedicated to sharing pictures and information about individuals suspected of engaging in extramarital affairs. Lately, social media has been set ablaze with two WhatsApp groups “Byo Men Exposed” and “Byo Women and Men Exposed”
Both groups have over 1 000 members.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube warned that cyberbullying is a crime and those administrators of the WhatsApp groups face arrest if they violate the law.
He said aggrieved parties should report to their nearest police station.
The Cyber Security and Data Protection Act [Chapter 11:22] of 2019. Section 164B of the Act states that any person who unlawfully and intentionally by means of a computer or information system generates and sends data messages to another person, or posts any material on any electronic medium accessible by any person, with the intention to intimidate, harass, threaten, bully or cause substantial emotional distress or humiliate someone or to encourage a person to harm himself or herself, shall be guilty of an offence.
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