Mahere Fined USD$ 500 After She Was Convicted For Publishing Falsehoods Undermining The Police

Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere has been fined USD$500 after she was convicted for publishing falsehoods undermining the police.

She was acquitted in the main charge of publishing falsehoods but was found guilty of communicating a falsehood prejudicial to the State and the Law enforcement.

In passing the judgement Harare Magistrate Taurai Manuwere said Mahere will face a three month jail term if she fails to pay the USD$500 fine.

“You are a female offender aged 37and for the past years you have been a law abiding citizen with no conviction. You have been on remand for almost two years and this trial took over 10 months.

He added that, “You spent 10 days in pretrial incarceration. You did not plan to commit the offence but the smashing of the Commuter Omnibus by the police lead you to do so and if it was not it you could have not committed the offence and own its own its mitigatory.

He further highlighted that he was not going to send Mahere to prison since her moral blameworthiness is not too high.

Manuwere went on to say Mahere is a female first offender and her imprisonment would cost her job which could make her parents suffer because they depend on her.