By Staff Reporter
Freelance journalists Desire Tshuma, Simbarashe Sithole and Gideon Madzikatidze who were facing a single charge of extortion are off the hook after the case was withdrawn before plea at Harare magistrate Court yesterday (Tuesday).
The state proved that Sithole and Madzikatidze were impersonated by Zimpaper’s reporter Abel Ndooka and freelance journalist Allan Mloshwa who went and demanded cash from the complainant Tafadzwa Masembura disguising as Bulawayo24 reporters.
Allegations were that on 15 April 2025, Desire Tshuma contacted the complainant, Mr. Tafadzwa Masembura, a senior official at the Zimbabwe Copyright Centre (ZICCD), via WhatsApp using a NetOne number.
Tshuma identified himself as a journalist from Observer News and claimed to be investigating a fraud case involving Masembura and more than US$20,000 in mismanaged employee funds.
Tshuma allegedly offered not to publish the story in exchange for US$100. The complainant complied and paid the amount at a meeting along Kwame Nkrumah Avenue in central Harare.
The next day, Tshuma allegedly returned with two other journalists, Sithole and Madzikatidze, who claimed to represent Bulawayo24 News. The complainant was pressured to buy them lunch and again coerced into paying another US$100, bringing the total paid to US$200.
On 16 April, Tshuma arranged yet another meeting under the pretext of getting the complainant’s side of the story. However, the tone of the meeting remained coercive.
On 22 April, Sithole allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to maintain pressure, and on 23 April, Tshuma forwarded a draft article authored by Sithole and Madzikatidze. The draft contained damaging allegations and came with a warning: the story would be published if more money wasn’t paid.
The complainant then alerted the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), suspecting extortion. A sting operation was conducted, and on 23 April, all three journalists were caught red-handed accepting US$100 in trap money at the same Kwame Nkrumah Avenue location.