However, the 5 months of the sentence were suspended for 5 years and a further 10 months were suspended on condition that he performs 350 hours of community service.

In a leaked WhatsApp chat, Masarira defended her husband, saying he was seduced by her daughter and failed to control himself. She said:

I am an adult 41 who is capable of making decisions for herself and her future. My daughter seduced my husband. He was tempted and failed to control himself.

He apologised akaripa pachivanhu to me and my parents. My daughter is the one who is unremorseful. Hasn’t apologised since and is bragging to the whole world that she fixed me.

I ain’t desperate at all. I put Bongani’s weaknesses on a scale and realised that he has 80% good or excellent and 20% fault.

Why should I throw away the baby and the water? It is better to deal with the faults and maintain the good.

Posting on Facebook, one Charlton Tsodzo said he was worried about his “friend”, Linda Masarira. He wrote:

1. The persistent scourge of domestic/intimate partner violence in our country …where intimate partners believe that physical violence either chastises the other party, subdues them or puts them in their rightful place during domestic disputes. So if this can happen to Linda, who leads a political party and is arguably a self-aware and empowered woman…what about the ordinary woman njee? We have an issue here to deal with folks ( in general) and men ( in particular). We can do better I think

2. I’m also worried about step-daughter/stepdad intimacy….oh this one outrages me and honestly I think stepfathers have ‘in loco parentis’ responsibility over their stepchildren… noo I don’t think it’s right for a stepfather to sleep with his stepdaughter whether akururirwa or whatever. It should just never happen, just the sickening thought of the same happening to your own daughter will tell you kuti hazviite izvi and there is no justification whatsoever. My personal view right there.

3. I’m worried about the people that Linda confides in..who after she pours out her soul about her most intimate and sensitive life details the so-called friend then packages the conversations for social media. That outraged me as well and part of me has been wondering whether there are no questions of illegality here ipapo or violation of Linda’s personal privacy rights with respect to the Data Protection Act

4. I can only wish my old-time friend the very best in trying to resolve or move on from this …life will never be the same again at so many levels. This must be hard and I hope whoever has an opinion on these issues also proffers constructive suggestions so that my friend can navigate and be able to move on from this with her loved ones. I am very sad for her actually.

More: Pindula News