A 26-year-old woman from Braeside has been fined US$130 after being convicted of soliciting for prostitution and operating an unlicensed business in Hillside, Harare.
The woman, who was arrested alongside four others on 9 May 2025, admitted to running a so-called “massage parlour” which police discovered was being used to offer sexual services for a fee. The brothel was unmasked following a police tip-off and subsequent midday raid on the premises.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the accused identified herself as the employer of the four women, but failed to produce a valid beauty parlour licence for the establishment.
She pleaded guilty to three charges: soliciting for the purpose of prostitution, living off or facilitating prostitution, and operating without a beauty parlour licence.
She was fined US$30 or one month’s imprisonment for the first offence. The second and third counts were treated as one for sentencing, resulting in a further US$100 fine or two months’ imprisonment in default of payment.
Media reports have identified the woman as Cassandra Mavhura. Her employees were named as Charity Makoni (30), who used the alias Chelsea; Josephine Tapi (22), known as Tanya; Miriam Bimha, also referred to as Chichie; and Shyline Sibanda, who goes by Sky.
All four women pleaded guilty to soliciting sex for the purposes of prostitution and were each fined US$30 by Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo. In addition, they received two-month prison sentences, wholly suspended on condition of good behaviour.
They invited men to their so-called beauty parlour, where they charged US$20 for sex.
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