Zimbabwean socialite and comedian Mai TT has issued a public apology to Harare businesswoman Shingai Ziwange-Jere and her husband, Hon. Farai Jere, after being hit with a US$100,000 defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit stems from a Facebook post made by Mai TT, where she accused Ziwange-Jere of threatening her, sending people to assault her, and manipulating the justice system.
According to reports, Ziwange-Jere’s lawyers, Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, demanded a full and unconditional retraction of the defamatory statements, along with a public expression of regret, within 12 hours of receiving the cease-and-desist letter. Failure to comply would have resulted in a formal summons for damages.
In her apology, Mai TT stated, “I would like to offer my deepest and most sincere apology to Hon. Farai Jere and his wife, Mrs. Shingi Ziwange-Jere, for the posts made on social media regarding you. I regret the hurt and distress caused and take full responsibility for my actions.” She acknowledged the damage done and expressed genuine remorse.
The apology comes after Ziwange-Jere’s lawyers argued that the posts had caused significant harm to her reputation, both locally and internationally, and had undermined her valuable asset – her reputation. The businesswoman had also lodged a criminal complaint against Mai TT under Zimbabwe’s Cyber and Data Protection Act for cyberbullying, harassment, and spreading false information.
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