Mliswa Files Criminal Charges Against Matinyarare
Former Norton MP Temba Mliswa has lodged a criminal complaint against Rutendo Matinyarare alleging cyber bullying under Zimbabwe's Cyber and Data Protection Act.
Dumisani Ndlovu 
Harare – Former Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa has lodged a formal criminal complaint with the Zimbabwe Republic Police's Criminal Investigations Department (CID), accusing activist Rutendo Matinyarare of violating Sections 164B and 164C of the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07].
In a complaint dated 2 July 2026, and addressed to the CID Director in Harare, Mliswa alleges that Matinyarare has conducted a sustained online campaign targeting him through the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he allegedly published and amplified false, misleading and malicious digital content.
Mliswa claims the posts included written statements, audio recordings and other electronic material purportedly attributed to him, which were widely circulated and exposed him to public ridicule, hostility, abuse and reputational damage.
According to the complaint, Mliswa believes some of the audio recordings and electronic communications were selectively edited, manipulated or taken out of context before being published, creating what he says is a false and misleading impression of his statements.
He further argues that the growing use of sophisticated digital editing technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, raises concerns about the authenticity of the material being circulated online.
The former legislator is asking police to investigate the alleged offences which deal with the unlawful transmission of data messages and the dissemination of false data messages intended to cause harm.
