Nine women between the ages of 19 and 27 have been fined US$30 each by the Harare Magistrates’ Court after being found guilty of soliciting for the purposes of prostitution.
They first appeared in court on Saturday, 3 May 2025, and pleaded guilty to the charges on 9 May.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, if they don’t pay the fine, they will each spend one month in jail instead. The NPA said:
The women were arrested on the 2nd of May 2025, following an operation conducted by the ZRP at the women’s place of business.
Police conducted the operation following information received about online advertisements on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook soliciting for prostitution.
The online adverts offered massage and sexual services for a prescribed fee and listed the given address as the business location.
An undercover police officer visited the premises as a potential client. He was then directed to a bedroom where the 9 women presented themselves in a semi-naked state.
At this point, the undercover officer revealed his identity, and other police officers who were part of the operation entered the premises and the women were subsequently arrested.
Prostitution itself is not explicitly illegal in Zimbabwe; however, several activities associated with it are criminalised.
These include soliciting in public places, advertising sexual services, operating a brothel, and living off the earnings of prostitution.
Although sex work is not directly banned, enforcement often focuses on sex workers by applying laws related to loitering and other minor offences, effectively criminalising aspects of the trade in practice.
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