A Lupane State University student has denied attempting to bribe a lecturer to secure a passing grade, arguing that money transferred via EcoCash was a refund linked to a tomato supply agreement.

Zimbabwean rapper Holy Ten has been granted US$500 bail after appearing in court on a rape charge. The matter has been postponed to 7 August as investigators await forensic results and age verification documents.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested Chiredzi Town Council acting town secretary Consider Kubiku over allegations that he bypassed recruitment procedures to appoint and promote unqualified employees.

A Gwanda magistrate has urged Zimbabwe to prioritise rehabilitation for drug addicts and focus law enforcement efforts on suppliers and trafficking networks instead of criminalising users.

MASVINGO – A 47-year-old Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer stationed at Chikuku Police Base in Bikita has been acquitted of rape after the Masvingo Magistrates' Court ruled that the evidence presented did not prove the offence beyond a reasonable doubt. Magistrate Archie Wochiungwa delivered the judgment on 2 July 2026, finding that the complainant and the accused were in a consensual relationship at the time of the alleged incident.

MUTARE – A 29-year-old Mutare mushikashika operator has been arrested after allegedly assaulting a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer at a service station, an incident that was captured on video and widely circulated on social media. The suspect, Brendon Tsakatsa, of Chikanga 1, was arrested in connection with the incident, which police said occurred on 29 June 2026.

HARARE – The Harare Magistrates' Court has sentenced three Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers to five years' imprisonment each after convicting them of criminal abuse of office following an anti-corruption investigation. The convictions were confirmed on Friday by ZRP national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who said the officers were arrested during an operation conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Police Anti-Corruption Unit.

HARARE – A prominent Harare businessman has told the Harare Magistrates' Court that the two women at the centre of a cyberbullying and malicious damage to property case are both his girlfriends, as he testified in an ongoing criminal trial stemming from a deteriorating personal relationship.

BEITBRIDGE – A 35-year-old man from Beitbridge has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison after raping a woman before falling asleep in her home, giving the victim time to escape and alert neighbours. Adam Sibanda, of Malala Village under Chief Sitaudze, was convicted of rape by the Beitbridge Magistrates' Court.

MUTOKO – A Bolt Cutter Bus Service conductor has been sentenced to an effective seven months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a passenger who demanded a refund after discovering the bus was overcrowded. Ranjisi Andrew Manyati (45), of Mutoko, appeared before Mutoko Magistrate Panashe Matongo facing charges of assault and theft arising from the incident, which occurred at Domborembudzi Business Centre in Murehwa last week.

The High Court has overturned a Harare man’s cyberbullying conviction, ruling that investigators failed to conclusively prove WhatsApp messages originated from his phone, setting an important precedent for cybercrime prosecutions in Zimbabwe.

MASVINGO – Convicted armed robber Daniel Munyanyi, who is currently serving a cumulative 185-year prison sentence for robbery-related offences, stunned the High Court last week when he refused to answer questions, claiming that bees had instructed him to remain silent.

HARARE – A Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) accountant has appeared before the Harare Magistrates' Court facing fraud charges involving more than US$132,000 allegedly siphoned from prison service project funds.

BEITBRIDGE – A Beitbridge church leader has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after the death of a woman who was chained, stripped naked, and severely beaten during what was described as a demon-casting ritual. The Bulawayo High Court convicted Bishop Gomori of the Damasko Zion Christian Church of murder following the death of a female congregant during an exorcism session conducted in March 2023.

BULAWAYO – A stray cat brought proceedings to an unexpected standstill at the Bulawayo High Court this week after wandering into a murder trial and refusing to leave, forcing court officials to abandon the courtroom and relocate the hearing. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the unusual incident occurred on June 3 during a special sitting of the High Court convened to hear the murder trial of 19-year-old Bright Tshuma of Nkulumane. What began as an ordina