Zalari has raised $2 million USD in a founding round led by Nyamaropa Technologies
Case Details
Court
Bulawayo High Court
Date
12 August 2021
Citation
HB 152/21
Neutral Citation
[2021] ZWHB 152
Outcome
unknown
Case Type
Review
Bench
Presiding
Takuva J
Full Bench
Takuva J
Areas of Law
Criminal LawStatutory Interpretation
Keywords
witchcraft accusationsection 99 Criminal Law Codification and Reform Actinterpretation of "accuse a person of witchcraft"
Tags
witchcraftcriminal reviewstatutory interpretation
legislation
Statutes Cited
- Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act
- Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act
- Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act
- Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act
- Witchcraft Suppression Act (repealed)
ai analysis
Case Summary
Key Issues
- {"issue_text":"Does section 99 of Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act criminalise mere utterances that one is a witch or wizard without alleging use of non-natural means?","issue_type":"law","dispositive":"yes","related_facts":"Accused called complainant wizard without alleging non-natural means"}
- {"issue_text":"Is there a contradiction between section 99(1) and 99(2) regarding requirement of \"purported use of non-natural means\"?","issue_type":"law","dispositive":"no","related_facts":"Statutory interpretation of sections 99(1) and 99(2)"}
This summary was generated by AI. Use Zalari to read the full judgment.
background
Facts of the Case
Background
A 30-year-old accused met 78-year-old complainant at his grinding mill and called him a wizard in Tonga language ("ulalowa Filimon" meaning "you are a wizard Filimon") without alleging use of non-natural means. Regional Magistrate sought guidance on whether this constituted an offence under section 99.
Read the full judgment, get AI analysis, and find related cases
Open in Zalari →
Legal Intelligence
for Africa.
for Africa.
Zalari is Zimbabwe and Southern Africa's leading AI-powered legal research platform, built by DeepCounsel and powered by Nyamaropa Technologies. Search Zimbabwe Supreme Court and High Court case law instantly, get AI-generated answers with full source citations, and access the most comprehensive corpus of Zimbabwean and Southern African jurisprudence available online. Zalari is the go-to legal AI platform for attorneys, advocates, law students, judges, and corporate counsel across Zimbabwe and South Africa — delivering faster research, smarter insights, and a competitive edge in legal practice. Zalari does not provide legal advice. Always consult a qualified legal practitioner for advice specific to your situation. © 2026 DeepCounsel — a legal technology company democratising access to legal knowledge in Africa.