Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
HELL hath no fury like a woman with Wi-Fi.
A Montrose woman allegedly went to extreme lengths to settle a petty score, creating not one but two fake Instagram accounts to brand her rival a witch and threaten her with death.
A court heard that Serena Londiwe Tshuma (22) hatched the elaborate cyber vendetta against Zothile Zulu, whom she accused of witchcraft. Instead of confronting her directly, Tshuma allegedly turned to the keyboard, plotting a painstaking smear campaign designed to humiliate her target online.
On 17 June last year, Tshuma allegedly opened two Instagram accounts under fake names. From there, she unleashed a barrage of posts and direct messages branding Zulu a witch. In one chilling message, she claimed Zulu had killed her father, a claim that left the complainant shaken and sleepless.
On 15 January this year, she allegedly sent another message, accusing Zulu of handing out her mobile number to random people in a move calculated to expose her to harassment.
It was the precision of the operation that left many shocked. Instead of heat-of-the-moment insults, the fake accounts were carefully crafted, managed over months and solely dedicated to painting Zulu as a dangerous witch.
The victim told police she lived in constant fear that the online insults could spill over into real life after receiving death threats from the bogus accounts.
Fearing for her safety, Zulu finally reported the matter to police. Investigations traced the accounts back to Tshuma, leading to her arrest.
Tshuma appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tafadzwa Gwazemba facing a charge of cyber bullying as defined under section 164 of the Cyber and Data Protection Act Chapter 12:07. She was not asked to plead.
She was granted US$50 bail, ordered to stay at the address she gave to the court and report weekly to Hillside Police Station.
The case has sparked debate over how social media, with its infinite and instant worldwide reach, when weaponised, can inflict deep emotional wounds and ruin reputations with just a few clicks.
