This explainer by the Institute for Sustainable Empowerment and Justice (ISEJ) breaks down technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) in Zimbabwe, mapping common forms of digital harm directly to the legal protections updated by the Cyber and Data Protection Act (2021).
Key Takeaways:
- Mapping Digital Harm to Zimbabwean Law:
- Cyberbullying & Harassment (Section 164B, Criminal Law Code): Covers insulting, threatening, degrading, or intimidating messages or posts intended to cause emotional distress (punishable by fines and up to 10 years imprisonment).
- Non-Consensual Sharing of Intimate Images (Section 164E): Criminalizes recording or distributing intimate images without consent (punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment).
- Fake Profiles & Falsehoods: Criminalizes sending false data messages meant to cause harm, with impersonation grounding additional fraud or defamation claims
- Hacking & Stalking: Unauthorized access to account data is covered under cybercrime and data protection laws. Ongoing digital harassment or stalking by a partner/ex-partner can be addressed through protection orders under the Domestic Violence Act.
- Practical Steps for Victims:
- Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots showing timestamps, handles, numbers, and URLs.
- Do Not Forward: Avoid re-sharing intimate images—even to show others—as re-sharing is an offense.
- Report to ZRP: Report to any police station, request the Victim Friendly Unit, and cite specific legal sections.
- Platform Takedowns: Report accounts directly to social media platforms for removal.
- Seek Support: Reach out to organizations like the Adult Rape Clinic, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, or Musasa for legal, clinical, and survivor support.
About the Publisher:
The Institute for Sustainable Empowerment and Justice (ISEJ) is a Zimbabwean non-profit working at the intersection of law, gender equality, public health, climate justice, and narrative change to ensure complex legal rights are accessible and enforceable for everyday communities.