Staff Reporter
Sonja Louise Madzikanda, the estranged wife of controversial tenderprenuer Wicknell Chivayo’s ex-wife, and her mother, Tabitha Madzikanda, will spend another night in custody after the presiding magistrate Nyaradzo Manokore, failed to pitch up amid reports she is not feeling well.
Sonja and her mother appeared before Manokore on Wednesday facing allegations of contravening cyber laws. They are denying the charges.
Their lawyer, Mr Rungano Mahuni, argued that there are no compelling reasons not to grant them bail.
They will appear again in court tomorrow for their bail hearing.
According to the State Chivayo and Sonia were married from 2019 and 2024 until the marriage was annulled by the high court of Zimbabwe.
The State alleges that during the same period of the subsistence of the marriage Sonja unlawfully accessed Chivayo’s cell phone and downloaded several photographs and videos of Chivayo from the cell phone and also shared with her mother.
According to the State, on an unknown date but during the month of May 2026, both Sonja and her Mother used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate photographs purporting that Chivayo once associated with the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa.
The State further alleges that Sonja and her mother then unlawfully published the AI- generated photographs on various social media platforms and the photographs and videos went viral. The conduct allegedly caused substantial emotional distress to Chivayo.
