CYBERBULLYING charges against United Kingdom–based socialite and businesswoman Olinda Chapel were on Wednesday withdrawn by the State before plea after she appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo.
Prosecutor Lawrence Gangarahwe informed the court that the State was no longer pursuing the matter and formally dropped the charges. Chapel was not asked to plead.
The charges arose from a Facebook Live broadcast in which Chapel was accused of attacking Dyonne Tafirenyika and involving Tafirenyika’s child on social media. Chapel had already appeared in court over the matter and had been released on US$100 bail pending routine remand.
Following her court appearance, Chapel issued a written statement and also recorded a live video publicly apologising for her conduct. In the apology, she admitted wrongdoing and said she was taking “full accountability” for her actions.
“I am making this public apology to Dyonne with full accountability for my actions,” Chapel said. “I deeply regret the way I treated Dyonne and acknowledge that my behaviour was harmful, disrespectful, and completely wrong.”
She conceded that she used “demeaning and insulting language,” spoke about Dyonne in a “degrading manner,” and spread “false and misleading information that damaged her character and reputation.”
Chapel described involving Dyonne’s child as the most serious aspect of her conduct, saying she had crossed “an unforgivable boundary.”
“Most seriously, I crossed an unforgivable boundary by involving Dyonne’s child,” she said, adding that she attempted to interfere with the parent-child relationship, which she acknowledged was “wrong on every level.”
She further admitted to posting content involving Dyonne without her consent, saying this violated her privacy and escalated a matter that should never have been made public.
“There is no excuse for my behaviour,” Chapel said, adding that she was “truly ashamed” and regretted the emotional distress caused to Dyonne, her child and family.
In the same apology, Chapel also apologised to Kelsea Tafirenyika, admitting she had mentioned her by name and used “offensive, disrespectful, and unacceptable language.”
“There is absolutely no justification for what I did,” she said.
Chapel also sought to clarify that the dispute “was never about a man,” dismissing any suggestions to the contrary as false.
Before the withdrawal of charges, Chapel had been ordered to surrender her passport, not to interfere with State witnesses and to report fortnightly at Borrowdale Police Station.
