Mahere Fined USD$500 For Publishing Falsehoods

Zimbabwean News You Can Trust

A Harare magistrate has fined Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson, Fadzai Mahere USD$500 following her conviction on charges of  publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the State.

She was fined yesterday.

According to a report by ZimLive, the CCC spokesperson was ordered to pay a US$500 fine or spend three months in prison.

Mahere was found guilty by Harare Regional Magistrate Taurai Manuwere after a full trial.

Giving his final judgement Manuwere said, “You’re a female first offender aged 37. For 37 years you have been a law-abiding citizen. You have been on remand for almost 2 years, this trial took over 10 months and you spent 10 days in pretrial incarceration.

“Your conduct however leaves ZRP in a bad light. However, I’m not going to send you to prison because your moral blameworthiness is not too high. You’re gainfully employed.

“A custodial sentence will make you lose employment and bring suffering to your parents who rely on you.

“You shall pay a fine of US$500 at the equivalent interbank rate, in default of payment three months in prison.”

But multi award winning journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono said Mahere has been convicted of breaking a law that doesn’t exist.

Mahere allegedly tweeted that a baton-wielding police officer enforcing COVID-19 lockdown regulations had fatally struck one Rebecca Musariri’s child in Harare.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) refuted the claim and said the child was not killed.

A video of the incident went viral in 2020, with the mother clinging to a police officer claiming he had killed her baby.