By Desire Tshuma
HARARE — Businessman Wicknell Chivayo has withdrawn criminal charges against his ex-wife Sonja Madzikanda and her mother Tabitha Madzikanda, leading to the pair’s release from custody.
Sonja and Tabitha were arrested early this week on allegations of cyberbullying and harassment under Section 164B of Zimbabwe’s Criminal Law Act. Prosecutors had claimed Sonja unlawfully accessed Chivayo’s phone during their marriage, downloaded photos and videos, and shared them with her mother, who then circulated AI-generated images purporting to show Chivayo with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The two women had been due to return to court for a postponed bail ruling after the presiding magistrate was absent due to illness. Following Chivayo’s withdrawal of the complaint, the matter did not proceed and Sonja and Tabitha were released.
Tabitha Madzikanda, an FBC Bank executive, had also been facing separate allegations related to a trust account for Chivayo’s children, while Sonja faced accusations of breaching a High Court order on child access. With the withdrawal of the charges by the complainant, the latest chapter in the dispute has come to an end.