Harare– Five women who operated a brothel disguised as a massage parlour in Harare have been convicted and sentenced in court. The women, who used social media to lure men to their establishment, were found guilty of soliciting sex for money.
The Harare Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday that the five women, who ran their operation from 30 Helm Avenue in Harare, were charging US$20 for sexual services.
The five women are: Charity Makoni, 30, who went by the name Chelsea; Josephine Tapi, 22, known as Tanya; Miriam Bimha, also known as Chichie; Shyline Sibanda, who also went by Sky; and their boss, Cassandra Mavhura.
The women pleaded guilty to soliciting sex for the purposes of prostitution and were each fined $30 by Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo. In addition to the fine, they received two-month prison sentences, wholly suspended on the condition of good behaviour.
Cassandra Mavhura, who ran the brothel, faced further charges including living off or facilitating prostitution, procuring for the purpose of prostitution, and contravening the Shop Licences Act. Noosa Kangara served as the prosecutor in the case.
The arrests followed a police sting operation on 2 May 2025, prompted by tip-offs about WhatsApp and Facebook advertisements where the women promoted “massage” services that allegedly included “lula lula” for a fee.
An undercover officer was sent to investigate the facility. After being directed to a bedroom, the officer found several of the women semi-naked. The officer then identified himself, prompting police to move in and make arrests.
Prior to this case, another group of nine women, aged between 19 and 27, was brought before Magistrate Tapiwa Banda on similar charges. These women also pleaded guilty under Section 81(b)(2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which addresses soliciting for prostitution.
Each of the nine women was fined USD 30, with a default sentence of one month in prison if the fine was not paid.
These convictions highlight the ongoing issue of sex work in Zimbabwe, a practice that is driven by high unemployment and the increasing cost of living.
A survey conducted in 2022 by the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network, in partnership with the National Aids Council (NAC) and the ministry of health and child care, revealed that sex work was the most frequently mentioned source of income in Harare. The survey, which covered Harare, Bulawayo, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, and Mashonaland Central, also found that sex work was a significant source of income in other regions.
The report stated that “in Harare the most often-mentioned source of income was sex work. Sex work was the third-most often-mentioned source of income in Mashonaland Central and the fourth in Mashonaland West. Bulawayo and Mashonaland Central had the highest number of participants reporting not to be earning any money.”
The survey also highlighted the dangers faced by those involved in transactional sex, with participants reporting instances of sexual violence, including forced penetrative and oral sex. “Participants engaging in transactional sex in the past six months had suffered from some form of sexual violence, being forced into having either penetrative sex or oral sex. About a third of those engaging in transactional sex have had anal sex,” the report added.
Sex work remains a criminal offence in Zimbabwe, leaving an estimated 45,000 sex workers unprotected by the law and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
In Harare’s Avenues area, known as a red-light district, women have been seen soliciting clients.
One sex worker, Nelly, 34, explained how she became involved in the industry: “I entered sex work when I was 22. Abject poverty and lack of opportunities forced me into this profession. Homeless, without any money and nothing to eat, a friend took me in and introduced me to sex work.”
Nelly described the challenges and dangers she faces: “It’s hard. I am stigmatised by family and society. I am also subjected to harassment by the police. I charge US$10 for 30 minutes or US$20 for a full hour. In one night I sleep with at least five men.”
She also spoke of the violence she has experienced: “In most cases I encounter sexual violence. I have been raped and stabbed, and my body is full of bruises from physical violence. I also got pregnant and now I have a child to look after. Because I have a child to feed and bills to pay, it has become difficult to leave the industry, but at the same time I did not feel safe doing sex work.”
According to UNAids, Zimbabwean sex workers “face violence from the police, clients and partners, increasing their risk of acquiring HIV.” The organisation estimates that the prevalence of HIV among sex workers in Zimbabwe is high, at 42.2%, and that they also face stigma and discrimination from healthcare workers.
Another sex worker, Monalisa, 22, explained that she dropped out of school when she became pregnant and turned to sex work to support her children. “The first time I started sex work, I traded sex for food to feed my two children. As time progresses you realise transactional sex is not only about money, it’s also about food. With the cost of living soaring and high prices, often I sleep with men for food – just a few groceries like sugar, cooking oil, mealie meal and some meat. The money in sex work is just too little. Charging US$10 for sex is not enough to put food on the table.”
Monalisa also spoke of the dangers: “And the industry is very dangerous. Some clients want to take drugs while with me and often male clients refuse to use condoms because they say it reduces their pleasure. Even though I charge more – US$40 – for unprotected sex it’s still a risk.”
Hazel Zemura, director of All Women Advocacy, an organisation led by sex workers with over 3,000 members, said that the country’s financial hardships have forced many women into transactional sex. “There is also an increase in the number of women forced to turn to what is known as survival sex work, undertaken to meet immediate needs such as financial, accommodation or food,” she said.
Zemura is advocating for the decriminalisation of sex work: “We are campaigning for the decriminalisation of sex work. It is illegal to solicit clients, live on the earnings of sex work and facilitate and procure sex work. All this makes sex workers vulnerable to violence and victimisation, and reluctant to report this to the police for fear of criminalisation.”
Poverty and an inability to afford tuition, accommodation, and food have also forced many university students into sex work.
Tatenda, 23, a second-year student, explained that transactional sex helps her pay her bills: “I live off campus, renting a room with two other girls. We need to buy food, pay the rent and have transport money. My parents are struggling. They manage to pay for tuition fees and send a little extra for food, but it’s not enough. So I engage in transactional sex with older men to pay my rent and buy food. Other students are doing it as well, because if you don’t, you will starve.”
While some women are being convicted for soliciting, others have had their cases dismissed. In May last year, the Masvingo Magistrates Court acquitted seven women who had been arrested for soliciting for prostitution at Mucheke bus terminus on 17 April 2024.
The seven women, Tanaka Dzoro, Martha Chirume, Sharon Mapurisa, Fortunate Chauraya, Stabile Mpandile, Cynthia Chihota and Natasha Siziba, were represented by Collen Maboke of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
The ZLHR condemned the women’s arrest as discriminatory, arguing that it unfairly targeted women based on their gender.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that the women were arrested by police officers from Chikato Police Station while indecently dressed and soliciting for sex. However, Magistrate Mudzingo acquitted the women after finding inconsistencies in the testimony of the police officers and noting that prosecutors had failed to bring forward witnesses who should have been offering their services to the women.
The ZLHR stated that the case “exposes the ill-treatment of women as second-class citizens in Zimbabwe.”
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