After finding the spokesperson for the main opposition party guilty of disseminating false information on Twitter, a Zimbabwean court fined her $500 (£400).
The Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), which is opposing President Emmerson Mnangagwa in this year’s elections, is led by eminent attorney Fadzayi Mahere.
After releasing a video in which people claimed a police officer had fatally struck a baby with a baton when in reality the youngster was alive and unharmed, she was detained two years ago.
Once the verdict was read in court, Ms. Mahere’s family members started crying. The prosecution had requested a prison sentence, but the magistrate chose to fine her instead.
The magistrate stated that Ms. Mahere should have checked the facts and disregarded the authority of the police.
The statute under which she was convicted no longer applies, hence the matter is contentious. It was invalidated by the Constitutional Court because it went against free speech. Yet, the state still employs it, especially when dealing with its detractors.
