Authorities are prosecuting a teacher who allegedly sent a message on a WhatsApp group, decrying payment of poor salaries by government to civil servants.
Edith Mupondi, who resides in Budiriro high-density suburb is currently standing trial at Harare Magistrates Court answering to charges of contravening section 88(b) of Postal and Telecommunications Act for allegedly “sending by telephone any message that she knew to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to any person.”
According to prosecutors, Mupondi, unlawfully used her mobile phone handset to send a message on “Epworth Ladies” WhatsApp group on 23 October 2020, which read; “PaEpworth High School, Mr Muzondo,Mr Mudzengere, Mrs Sithole please tinyareiwo muzvigarire kumba, muri kurwisa vanhu vari kukurwirai kuti muwane mari inotenga. Tinyareiwo please.”
When loosely translated in English, this means; “At Epworth High School, Mr Muzondo, Mr Mudzengere and Mrs Sithole, please respect us by staying at your respective homes. You are fighting people that are clamouring for payment of improved salaries for teachers.”
The message prompted Yvonne Sithole, one of the teachers at Epworth High School, who was allegedly mentioned in the WhatsApp communication reportedly sent by Mupondi, to lodge a complaint with Police resulting in her being arraigned before Harare Magistrate Tafadzwa Miti to stand trial on charges of contravening the Postal & Telecommunications Act.
Mupondi is the latest person to be prosecuted on charges which confirm that Zim authorities are intensifying the monitoring & surveillance of social media platforms and targeting people who share perceived dissenting views and opinions to those of President Mnangagwa’s govt and his ruling ZANU PF party.
In her complaint, Sithole said the message allegedly generated by Mupondi scared her as it sent shivers down her spine.
“I recalled well since the opening of schools, I was going to school as usual since I had an exam class. On some of the days I would inform the Headmaster that I was not coming since I had no money for transport and this was being done by every teacher at the school. Surprisingly, on 23 October 2020, around 2026 hours, a WhatsApp message was sent in a group. The message was from a group called “Teachers Can’t Breathe Epworth” and it was forwarded to “Epworth Ladies Group”.
It was forwarded by Edith Mupondi. I am now living in fear & I am no longer able to go to school since I don’t know the intentions of these people & I informed this to the Headmaster,” reads part of Sithole’s complaint to the police, which landed Mupondi in trouble.
Mupondi’s trial continues at Harare Magistrates Court before Magistrate Miti. Zim Morning Post
Kkkkkkk so we teachers should just keep suffering and keep mwii
Antony Ba TroyTyler kkkkk hanzi ndoPatriotism ka
Teachers for E.D
Nxaa
The person who reported was justifying not going to work at the expense of the perpetrators family.
Very selfish
The stupid and dump Yyvone Sothole is just a joke, who doeant know that zim government uses teachers as donkeys for nothing
I’m sure the policeman that arrested him is paid well
Tony Sibanda the cop is equally underpaid but has the blind follower mentality and so is the fellow teacher who made the report to the police.
These police guys are bewitched kkkk. What they do isnt normal
@BigTimmz Truly the black beleives his kind should be a slave. So it’s a crime to disagree with leadership & incompetence? How we treat each other is how we’ll be treated as well
RT @NehandaRadio: Teacher arrested for complaining about low pay on social media – Nehanda Radio – https://t.co/GEZ2md9cdm https://t.co/PeM…
Teacher arrested for complaining about low pay on social media – Nehanda Radio – https://t.co/GEZ2md9cdm https://t.co/PeMqMBYsqL
And you’ll hear zanupf asking for more time on gorvenment mnxxxxxm
If teachers must just go for a shutdown the whole country what nonsense is this, saying I’m earning little money is not a crime
I didn’t know it was a crime to complain about your poor salary😳🤔
What ???? Is this playing what kind of crime is this 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣when the leadership is in panicking mode
Teachers for ED ,mukwane
That’s inhuman
Was the teacher lying
Funny
Siyai teacher mhani,inyaya here iyoyo ,its reality,go &do yr job good teacher
Our country has now gone to the dogs, kutosungirwa izvozvo
The other teacher sued another teacher. Say lady teacher. Lady teachers too much lub lub
Why arrest him he has got rights to do so
Continue voting for your zanu killers 😂
Educate me pliz. Is it a crime ?
Kumagumo kune nyaya