Olinda Chapel apologises to Stunner’s ex-wife Dyonne after cyberbullying case

HARARE — Olinda Chapel, the partner of Zimbabwean musician Desmond “Stunner” Chideme, has issued a public apology to his former wife, Dyonne Tafirenyika, following a social media outburst that resulted in her arrest on cyberbullying charges.

Chapel was arrested last week and appeared before a Harare court after allegedly using a Facebook Live broadcast to insult and verbally abuse Tafirenyika. In a written statement released publicly, she acknowledged wrongdoing and accepted full responsibility for her actions.

She said she used offensive and disrespectful language, spread misleading information and violated Tafirenyika’s privacy by posting content involving her without consent. Chapel also apologised for involving Tafirenyika’s child, saying she crossed an unacceptable line by interfering in a parent’s relationship with a child.

“I deeply regret the harm and distress I caused,” Chapel said, adding that there was no justification for her conduct. She noted that the dispute was not about a man and apologised to others who may have been affected by her remarks.

Chapel said she understood that an apology could not undo the harm caused and accepted that forgiveness might not be forthcoming.

Below is the full apology from Olinda

I am making this public apology to Dyonne with full accountability for my actions.

I deeply regret the way I treated Dyonne and acknowledge that my behavior was harmful, disrespectful, and completely wrong. I used demeaning and insulting language toward her, spoke about her in a degrading manner, and spread false and misleading information that damaged her character and reputation. These actions were unjustified and caused unnecessary pain and humiliation.

Most seriously, I crossed an unforgivable boundary by involving Dyonne’s child. I made statements and took actions that attempted to interfere with Dyonne’s relationship with their child, including trying to control or influence how her child appeared on social media and suggesting that her child should be kept away from her. This was wrong on every level. No one has the right to interfere with a parent’s bond with their child, and my actions showed a complete lack of respect for Dyonne’s role as a parent and for the emotional well-being of her child.

I also posted content involving Dyonne online without her consent, further violating her privacy and escalating a situation that should never have been made public. I failed to consider the lasting emotional, psychological, and reputational impact of my actions—not only on Dyonne, but on her child and family as well.

There is no excuse for what I did. I take full responsibility for my words, my behavior, and the harm I caused. I understand now that attempting to interfere with a parent-child relationship is deeply damaging and unacceptable, and I am truly ashamed that I allowed my behavior to reach that point.

Dyonne did not deserve this treatment. She deserved honesty, respect, and dignity, as well as the right to parent her child without interference, manipulation, or public scrutiny. I failed to uphold even the most basic standards of decency.

I am sincerely sorry to Dyonne for the pain, stress, fear, and emotional distress my actions may have caused. I also apologize to her child and loved ones who were impacted by my behavior. I understand that an apology does not undo the harm, and I accept that forgiveness may never come.

I want to be clear that this conflict was never about a man, and any suggestion or implication that it was is false and unfair. I take responsibility for allowing misinformation and harmful narratives to spread.

And for all other parties whose names I mentioned my sincere apology. It wasn’t meant disrespectfully though that wasn’t the intention.

With Regret

Olinda