Online Reporter
Kimberley Chitambara
A 52-year-old Harare woman has been sentenced to community service after she sent abusive and degrading WhatsApp messages to her sister during a dispute over their parents’ house.
Debra Choruma of Mbare suburb was convicted on her own plea of guilty to cyberbullying and harassment when she appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Patience Madondo.
Choruma was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment, with two months suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within that period. The remaining five months were suspended on condition that she perform 175 hours of community service at Nkulumane Police Station.
The complainant is Choruma’s elder sister, Ms Rosa Takafakare.
The court heard that the two sisters fell out after failing to agree on the allocation of rooms at their parents’ house. The dispute arose after Ms Takafakare proposed reserving a room for her nephew, who was planning to move into the house, a move Choruma opposed.
Prosecuting, Mr Methuli Ncube told the court that on December 14, 2025, Choruma sent her sister a series of insulting and humiliating messages via WhatsApp.
“In the messages, the accused referred to the complainant as mentally unstable and used vulgar and demeaning language,” said Mr Ncube.
The complainant reported the matter to the police, leading to Choruma’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
