The estranged wife of businessman Wicknell Chivhayo and her mother were remanded in custody after appearing before the Harare Provincial Magistrates’ Court facing allegations of cyberbullying and harassment linked to the alleged unlawful access of a mobile phone and the circulation of AI-generated images.
Sonja Louis Madzikanda and Thabitha Madzikanda appeared before magistrate Nyaradzo Manokore facing charges of cyberbullying and harassment.
The pair is accused of unlawfully accessing and distributing photographs and videos allegedly belonging to Chivhayo.
Although the State had initially consented to granting the two US$100 bail each, arguing there were no compelling reasons to deny them bail, the magistrate overturned the position after noting inconsistencies in the prosecution’s submissions.
Manokore said the State’s Form 242 had earlier indicated opposition to bail.
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Representing the accused, lawyer Rungano Mahuni argued that there were no compelling reasons warranting continued detention.
Mahuni told the court that Sonja and Chivhayo had allegedly not met for the past two years, making it improbable for her to have recently accessed his mobile phone and extracted photographs from it.
He further argued that the complainant had not personally filed a police report, saying the statement was instead made by an individual identified as Skumbuzo.
According to the State, during the subsistence of the marriage between Chivhayo and Sonja, the latter allegedly accessed Chivhayo’s cellphone without authorisation and downloaded several photographs and videos, which prosecutors say she later shared with her mother.
Prosecutors also allege that earlier this month the two accused used Artificial Intelligence technology to generate images falsely depicting Chivhayo in association with Cyril Ramaphosa.
The allegedly AI-generated photographs and videos were reportedly circulated on various social media platforms before going viral.
The State alleges that the accused persons’ actions caused substantial emotional distress and humiliation to Chivhayo.
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