A former police officer who once held the rank of Assistant Inspector has been arrested and detained after posting political content on Facebook, only to face a fresh charge of cyberbullying upon his release from custody.
Togara Fambi, who is now president of the National Progressive Democrats (NPD), was held for two nights at Masvingo Central Police Station.
He maintains that he is being targeted for criticising the Government.
Fambi, who resigned from the police service eight months ago, was initially arrested on Sunday after a warrant had been issued for his failure to appear before a police disciplinary hearing.
He was intercepted at a roadblock approximately 10 kilometres outside Gwanda and subsequently transferred to Masvingo, where he was detained overnight.
Despite being released on Monday, Fambi’s ordeal continued. He was directed to the CID Law and Order section, where he was immediately re-arrested and charged with cyberbullying, in connection with social media posts critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
He spent a further night in custody before appearing in court on Tuesday. However, prosecutor Ruvimbo Makoni declined to proceed with the cyberbullying charge, saying the case lacked merit and could not be sustained in its current form.
Police have indicated that further investigations will be conducted, with the matter expected to return to court on 21 May 2026.
Police allege that Fambi breached provisions of the Police Act through posts made between 26 April and 7 May 2025.
Fambi, for his part, argues that the warrant of arrest was improperly issued, claiming that the summons for the internal disciplinary hearing had been left with his 16-year-old child, who, he says, could not lawfully acknowledge receipt of such documents.
The cyberbullying matter is now expected to proceed by way of summons as investigations continue.
