Fortune Makoni, [email protected]
A 31-YEAR-OLD woman from Inyathi in Bubi District has been fined US$300 for cyber-bullying and harassing another woman through abusive WhatsApp messages. Senelisiwe Ncube was convicted of contravening Section 164B of the Cyber and Data Protection Act by Inyathi magistrate Ms Maggie Ruzive.
She was fined US$300 or six months’ imprisonment. A further six-month prison term was wholly suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit another offence of cyber-bullying and harassment during that period.
The court heard that Ncube sent sexually degrading and abusive messages to Ms Nomvelo Nyathi, 37, a nurse aide at Inyathi District Hospital.
Prosecuting, Mr Happiness Nleya said that on July 29, Ncube sent WhatsApp messages containing vulgar and derogatory language intended to harass, humiliate and cause Nyathi substantial emotional distress.
The messages included sexually degrading insults that cannot be reproduced in a family newspaper.
