By Victor Fanuel
BULAWAYO — Sports journalist Tafadzwa “Sticks” Chigandiwa has been released from custody as the state pursues a cyber forensic investigation into allegations of cyberbullying and harassment arising from a report he published on a commercial dispute involving former Highlanders FC vice-chairman Omega Sibanda.
Chigandiwa appeared in court on Tuesday, where prosecutors did not proceed with placing him on remand, opting instead to conduct further investigations before making a decision on the way forward.
The charges arise from a story authored by Chigandiwa concerning a dispute at Highlanders Sports Club, in which he reported allegations surrounding a landscaping rehabilitation project at the club’s facility.
The report alleged that a company linked to Sibanda had subcontracted another firm to carry out the works but had failed to pay an outstanding balance of US$2,000 after the project was completed.
Following publication of the article, Chigandiwa was arrested and charged under cyberbullying and harassment provisions.
As part of the investigations, the court ordered the seizure of his mobile phone, which will be submitted to the Cyber Forensic Laboratory for extraction and analysis of digital evidence.
The state is expected to determine its next move after the forensic examination and completion of further inquiries.
Chigandiwa was released without being placed on remand and remains out of custody pending any possible summons to return to court.
The circumstances surrounding the charges have attracted scrutiny, particularly because the journalist made efforts to contact all parties cited in the report before publication.
Chigandiwa sought responses from those implicated as part of efforts to uphold journalistic standards of fairness, balance and the right of reply.
This case has renewed debate over the use of cybercrime laws in disputes arising from published reports, with media practitioners warning against the criminalisation of legitimate journalistic work.
