HARARE – Five women who operated a brothel under the guise of a massage parlour have been fined and handed suspended sentences after pleading guilty to prostitution-related charges.
The women, who used social media platforms to lure clients to their establishment in Harare, were charging US$20 for sexual services, the Harare Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday.
Appearing before Magistrate Ruth Moyo, the group — Charity Makoni (30), known as Chelsea; Josephine Tapi (22), alias Tanya; Miriam Bimha, also called Chichie; Shyline Sibanda, who goes by Sky; and their manager, Cassandra Mavhura — all admitted to soliciting for the purposes of prostitution.
The court heard that the women masqueraded as beauticians and massage therapists while operating a commercial sex business from a premises in Harare. Magistrate Moyo fined each of the accused US$30 and imposed suspended prison sentences on condition they do not commit a similar offence within a specified period.
The case has sparked fresh debate on the regulation of the informal beauty and wellness sector in urban Zimbabwe, with calls for authorities to tighten monitoring mechanisms and address the underlying socio-economic issues driving such activities.
