A court in Harare has fined nine women after they were arrested for sharing social media posts advertising massages and sex.
Image: Screengrab/The Herald/X
The Zimbabwe Republic Police rounded up and arrested nine women for allegedly promoting “illegal massages” and sexual services via social media platforms.
State media in Zimbabwe reported that the nine women have since pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to the state-owned H-Metro newspaper in Harare, the women initially appeared in court for their bail ruling.
During the bail proceedings, the publication reported that the arrested women changed their plea and pleaded guilty.
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The arrested women are aged between 19 and 27. They were all arrested at a house in Harare after undercover police officers saw an advert and visited the premises.
The court heard that earlier this month, police officers noticed Facebook and WhatsApp advertisements allegedly posted by the women. According to reports, the social media posts were promoting different services, offering massages and sexual acts — including intercourse and oral sex — for a fee of US$20 (almost R370) per session.
Media reports stated that police officers swarmed the house and arrested the women who were half naked.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe issued a statement, saying the nine women who were arrested on charges of soliciting for the purposes of prostitution had been sentenced to a fine of US$30 (almost R550) each after they tendered guilty pleas.
In default of payment, the women would each serve one month imprisonment.
Nine women in Zimbabwe were fined, with the option of spending a month in jail, after being arrested for promoting sexual services on social media platforms.
Image: Screengrab/The Herald/Facebook
Days later, The Herald newspaper reported that another group of five women were also arrested and they appeared before the Harare Magistrate's Court. They are suspected to be part of a group of nine women who were recently convicted and fined for advertising massage services and sexual activities on social media.
Sex workers in Zimbabwe face high levels of violence, stigma, discrimination and other human rights violations, which make them considerably more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
A report by international charity group Aidsfonds states that while it is not officially a crime to sell sex in Zimbabwe, it is illegal to solicit clients, live on the earnings of sex work or to facilitate and procure sex work in the country.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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