CCC senior official Job Sikhala who used X, formerly Twitter, in 2021 to falsely accuse the police of killing a baby with a baton, has been fined US$500 (or two months in jail).
Harare regional magistrate Mrs Feresi Chakanyuka also handed Sikhala a wholly suspended nine-month jail term that applies for the next five years.
That means if he is convicted of publishing a falsehood over the next five years, he will not only be subject to the penalty of a second offender, but also have the nine months added.
In her ruling, Mrs Chakanyuka said it was crucial to deal sternly with those that publish falsehoods prejudicial to the State.
“The penalty provision is a fine up to or not exceeding level 14 or 20 years in prison. The victim is the Zimbabwe Republic Police. The process of sentencing an offender must be rational and informed. Punishment should fit the criminal and the crime.
“The court will focus more on reforming the offender. The mitigatory factors outweigh the aggravatory factors. There is no factor justifying a custodial sentence. A fine in the level of eight is fitting,” said Mrs Chakanyuka.
Herald
