WHILE the nation is currently swept up in the excitement of Afcon and the whirlwind visit of global personality IShowSpeed, a darker trend has emerged beneath the surface of our trending hash tags.
Instead of celebrating the initiative of our female influencers and pageant queens who stepped up to engage with a global audience, the digital space turned hostile.
These women, who are effectively building professional brands and connecting Zimbabwe to the international social media map, were met with a barrage of vitriol.
The discourse shifted from their professional drive to a fixation on their physical appearance, their choice of dress and baseless accusations of “clout chasing”.
This incident is merely a symptom of a much larger, more dangerous ailment. Cyber bullying has become a modern pandemic in Zimbabwe.
What many “keyboard warriors” disguise as constructive criticism is, in reality, a toxic blend of sexism and entitlement.
It is disheartening to witness the ease with which strangers feel empowered to dictate how a woman should dress, speak or conduct herself.
In this digital era, the anonymity of the screen has emboldened individuals to launch relentless attacks on women they have never met.
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Even more concerning is the role of platform monetisation; the thirst for views and clicks has created a marketplace where destroying a woman’s reputation is considered profitable content.
For women in the public eye, the internet is increasingly becoming a minefield of character assassination, image-based abuse and professionally-motivated harassment.
The toll on mental health is devastating and often invisible. During a 2025 workshop hosted by the Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence, cyber bullying was identified as a primary barrier to female participation in public life.
I recently spoke with a survivor of such an attack who requested anonymity.
Her story was harrowing; she confessed that after a wave of viral lies broke out online, she felt she had no choice but to contemplate ending her life. As she poignantly put it, "People don’t care about the truth; they care about what feels true."
However, the public must be reminded that the internet is not a lawless frontier.
The Cyber and Data Protection Act (2021) [Chapter 12:07] is clear: any person who uses a computer system to intentionally harass, threaten, bully or cause substantial emotional distress to another is committing a serious offence.
Those found guilty of demeaning others or encouraging self-harm face a fine not exceeding level 10, imprisonment for up to 10 years or both.
The law recognises that words typed on a screen can be as lethal as any physical weapon.
We cannot continue to look the other way while our sisters, daughters and leaders are torn apart for "likes".
It is time for a collective shift in our digital culture.
I call upon every social media user to practise digital empathy: before you hit "send" or "share" a derogatory post, consider the human being on the other side of the screen.
Furthermore, our law enforcement agencies must take these reports seriously to ensure the Cyber and Data Protection Act is not just a document, but a shield for those being targeted. Let us use our platforms to build, not to break.
The dignity of Zimbabwean women is not up for public debate.
