A 40-year-old Harare man has been sentenced to an effective six months in prison after secretly recording intimate moments with a 20-year-old woman he had lured with a false promise of employment before distributing the explicit content without her consent.
Tariro Takawira, of Kuwadzana Extension, was convicted of cyber-bullying and harassment by a Harare magistrate after the court found that he had intentionally used his mobile phone to create and share explicit images and videos in a bid to humiliate and emotionally distress the victim.
According to court proceedings, the incident occurred in June 2026 when Takawira allegedly deceived the woman by promising to help her secure a job. During their encounter, he secretly recorded intimate videos and took nude photographs without her knowledge.
The court heard that Takawira later sent the explicit material to the woman’s boyfriend. The matter came to light after the boyfriend confronted the victim about the videos and photographs he had received.
Prosecutors said Takawira also threatened to circulate the content on Facebook and church WhatsApp groups if the woman did not comply with his demands. The threats were intended to intimidate, degrade and publicly embarrass the complainant.
The victim reported the matter to the police, leading to Takawira’s arrest, prosecution and eventual conviction.
In a separate case, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the conviction and sentencing of 27-year-old Takunda McDonald Pfende of Waterfalls, Harare, for defrauding job seekers of thousands of United States dollars through a fake overseas employment scheme.
According to CID spokesperson Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri, investigations revealed that between May and July 2023, Pfende falsely claimed he could secure Certificates of Sponsorship for people seeking employment opportunities abroad.
Trusting his claims, 58 victims collectively paid him US$69,865. However, after receiving the money, Pfende failed to deliver on his promises and reportedly became unreachable, prompting the victims to report the matter to the police.
Detectives from the Commercial Crimes Division arrested Pfende in February 2025 following investigations. After appearing before the Harare courts, he was sentenced on 28 July 2026 to five years in prison.
Police have urged members of the public to thoroughly verify the legitimacy of recruitment agencies, overseas job offers and travel arrangements before making any payments, warning that fraudsters continue to target people seeking employment opportunities outside the country.