Harare High Court judge Justice Tawanda
Chitapi has ruled that it is illegal for a spouse to pry into their partner’s mobile phone to read messages and other information in the phone without the owner’s permission.
Justice Chitapi made the landmark ruling as he sentenced Fortunate Nsoro (36) of
Chitungwiza for knifing her husband to death for refusing to show her a “suspicious” text message that he had received on his
cellphone.
Nsoro fatally stabbed Petros Mutasa (55) in February last year, in a dispute over the text message which her husband had received on his cellphone.
Justice Chitapi convicted Nsoro of culpable homicide and sentenced her to 10 years in jail.
He suspended two years for five years on
condition that she does not commit a similar crime within the period.
The judge used Section 57(d) of the new
Constitution, which guarantees every person the right not to have the privacy of their communications infringed.