Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A Harare woman has been fined for cyberbullying her neighbour, whom she accused of being a prostitute.
Media Mashiri was on Wednesday convicted by Harare provincial magistrate Mr Gamuchirai Gore and was fined US$120.
Should she fail to pay, she will serve 45 days in prison. Prosecutor Mrs Mandirasa Chigumira told the court that on May 10, 2025, Mashiri sent a text message to her neighbour, Babra Maruza, accusing her of being a prostitute and habitually stealing other women’s husbands.
“In the transmitted text message, the accused bullied the complainant by alleging that the complainant was a prostitute who snatched other people’s husbands, a liar, evil-hearted, and of loose morals,” the State said.
The court heard that the message caused Maruza to have a heated altercation with her husband, leaving her emotionally distressed, humiliated, and degraded.
The ordeal prompted Maruza to report the matter to the police, resulting in Mashiri’s arrest.
Magistrate Gore noted that cyberbullying is a serious offence that can have lasting effects on victims and highlighted the importance of upholding respect and dignity within communities.
