Seventh Day Adventist evangelist Sam Marufu has been released from court proceedings for now after prosecutors halted a cyberbullying case against him, saying investigators must first establish that he was responsible for a Facebook account at the centre of the allegations.
The matter, which had been scheduled to continue before the Harare Magistrates’ Court, has instead been sent back to police for additional investigations after prosecutors concluded that the available digital evidence was insufficient to proceed.
Central to the investigation is whether the Facebook account that allegedly carried defamatory posts about three female members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church can be conclusively linked to Marufu.
Prosecutors have directed investigators to seek information from Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to determine whether the account belongs to Marufu and whether he was the individual who published the disputed content.
Until that evidence is obtained, the prosecution cannot move forward, leaving Marufu free while the investigation continues.
The evangelist has consistently denied responsibility for the posts through his lawyer, Admire Rubaya, arguing that it is the complainants’ responsibility to prove he authored or published the material in question.
The case arose after Rotina Mafume Musara, Alasia Mbiriri and Perseverance Muzeya accused Marufu of cyberbullying and harming their reputations through social media.
According to the allegations, the three women recorded a video of themselves as they prepared to preach. The footage was later uploaded to a Facebook page allegedly associated with Marufu, accompanied by a caption the complainants say was insulting and intended to mock them.
The women contend that the publication attracted numerous negative comments from social media users, prompting them to file a report at Marlborough Police Station.
The prosecution’s decision highlights the importance of digital forensic evidence in cyber-related criminal cases, particularly where ownership and control of online accounts are disputed.
Before any criminal proceedings can continue, investigators are expected to secure evidence capable of establishing both ownership of the Facebook account and the identity of the person responsible for uploading the allegedly offensive content.
Police will now continue their investigations, including efforts to obtain records from Meta, before prosecutors decide whether there is sufficient evidence to revive the case.
For now, no further court proceedings are expected until investigators complete the additional inquiries requested by the National Prosecuting Authority.
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