A community WhatsApp group administrator from Murehwa has appeared in court facing charges of spreading defamatory and harmful information online, in violation of Zimbabwe’s Cyber and Data Protection Act.
Tasunungurwa Freedom Manuhwa, who runs the Murehwa Times WhatsApp group, appeared before Harare magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzayi on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody pending the formal recording of his plea.
The complainant is Taurai Siyawamwaya, a businessman operating in both Harare and Murehwa. Siyawamwaya is also the father of Nathan Siyawamwaya, who lives with a mental disability.
According to prosecutors, Manuhwa allegedly used a mobile phone number registered in his name to post damaging messages on the Murehwa Times WhatsApp platform between June and December 2025.
The State alleges that the posts falsely claimed that a spiritual healer, identified as Kanemgo, had accused Siyawamwaya of causing his son’s condition through supernatural practices. It was further alleged in the messages that Siyawamwaya had gone into hiding at Chibhanguza Hotel during a supposed cleansing ceremony while waiting for a ruling from a traditional court.
The court heard that Siyawamwaya became aware of the posts on 3 September 2025 and viewed them as a deliberate cyberbullying campaign meant to humiliate him and damage his personal and business reputation.
Following the discovery, Siyawamwaya reported the matter to the police, leading to investigations that resulted in Manuhwa’s arrest on 20 January 2026.
Police reportedly seized a cellphone and SIM card registered in Manuhwa’s name, which investigators believe were used to publish the defamatory content. A forensic report prepared by the CID Cyber Laboratory is expected to be presented as evidence during the trial.
The case has drawn attention to the growing abuse of social media platforms within communities and serves as a warning about the legal risks of sharing unverified and harmful information online.
The matter is still before the courts.
