Jailed ‘rapist’ freed by WhatsApp group

By Arron Nyamayaro

WhatsApp group members joined hands to meet the legal costs for an elderly man jailed for rape after his sentence went viral on social media.

Freddie Chawatama, 78, who was convicted and sentenced to 35 years for raping five children, was released on bail on Wednesday at Chikurubi Maximum Prison when his defense counsel Advocate Kajokoto successfully appealed against both his conviction and sentence.

Two of the ‘Free up sekuru Freddie’ WhatsApp group members Dr Tafadzwa Takazviinga and Lillian Chisunga witnessed the release of sekuru Freddie from prison where they gave him a suit, took him to a food court and bought groceries for him before reuniting him with his brother.

“We learnt of sekuru Freddie on Tilder’s Facebook page where she posts stories of Behind Bars and formed a group composed of people who sympathised with his case,” said Dr Tazviinga.

“The group of 100 members agreed to meet sekuru Freddie’s legal costs and we managed to raise more than US$3000 and I was entrusted to collect it and today we celebrate the second chance granted to sekuru to meet his family after serving nearly two years of the 35 years sentence.

“We were only touched by his condition that he had been using a catheter when he committed the alleged rape and to me personally as a medical doctor was surprised.

“We agreed as a group to buy more catheters, other medicines and food for sekuru Freddie.

“Some of the group members agreed to spend the better part of last Friday with sekuru since it was a family week and he didn’t believe that we were working on an appeal for his release.

“We follow Tilder Moyo’s Facebook page on behind bars and we will continue supporting prison inmates,” said Dr Tazviinga. H Metro