In a desperate
bid to save her face, Mwatinza claimed that the private snapshot was taken
after an “ant bite in a sensitive area” and was never intended for public
viewing.
However, the
image rapidly spread across local WhatsApp groups, sparking widespread
controversy.
The incident
led to Mwatinza being summoned to village head Mukono’s community court, where
she was fined US$10 for “shaming the community.”
It was alleged
that the image might have been meant for her lover — a Trip Transport bus
driver only identified as Chinoz — whom she had been expecting to pass through
Wengezi on the fateful day.
In an interview
with The Weekender, Mwatinza insisted the picture was not meant for anyone, let
alone the alleged Trip Trans driver that she is accused of having an illicit
affair with.
“Honestly, I
felt something crawling and biting me down there while vending.
It was sharp,
like an ant or insect. I panicked, rushed to the toilet and took a photo using
my phone’s selfie camera to locate the bite. The pain was real, and the spot
was swollen. The graphic photo accidentally ended up on my WhatsApp status
instead of my gallery.
“The post was
up for 30 minutes before I deleted it. Unfortunately, that was long enough for
my fellow vendors to download and circulate it. It was an honest mistake. I
didn’t send it to anyone and never meant for anyone to see it. The rumours
about sending it to a lover, specifically Chinoz, are false. I don’t even know
him,” she said.
Mwatinza
claimed that fellow vendors were behind the embarrassment, arguing they were
the ones who had viewed the WhatsApp status before she removed it.
Despite her
denial, rumours about an alleged affair with the bus driver continue to
circulate.
The bus driver
plies the Mutare–Kurwaisimba route.
“I want the
vendors arrested. I need help. They are the ones who made this go viral. I
can’t even walk around freely anymore without people pointing fingers. They are
calling me names, laughing behind my back,” she said, on the verge of tears.
When contacted,
Chinoz denied the allegations, arguing that he did not know Mwatinza.
“I talk to many
people at Wengezi, and I don’t know this Mwatinza. I am not having an affair
with any woman, and if she claims I am, then she is lying,” he said.
Village head
Mukono was less forgiving.
“Mwatinza
disrespected herself, her husband, and our tradition. She may have meant the
photo for her boyfriend, but what matters is that the whole village saw it. She
is a grown up woman, a granny for that matter. What example is she setting?” he
exclaimed.
Village head
Mukono said the fine was solely for the nude status post, not for alleged
infidelity, as Mwatinza’s husband, Gift Chiororo, had not lodged a formal
complaint.
“She has always
looked down on her husband because she is the breadwinner. He does the
housework and fetches water, while she is a vendor at the business centre. That
photo was just the latest shame she brought to this village,” he said.
Chiororo has
remained quiet throughout the saga, according to villagers.
The couple has
been married for 23 years and has three adult children, two of whom are married
with children of their own.
Some locals are
sceptical of Mwatinza’s “ant bite excuse”, calling it a creative cover-up.
“That is a
first,” said Catherine Zvenyika, a neighbour.
“Next time, she
should fight the ants in private. If it was really an ant bite, then that
insect has done more damage than a whole scandal,” she said.
Zvenyika
alleged the photo was intended for Chinoz, who had told Mwatinza he would be
passing through, and expected “a teaser” before meeting her in person.
“Everyone knows they have been seeing each other. He asked her to send his
‘goods,’ and she delivered. It is a shame she is now blaming some of the
vendors for circulating the image, when many people saw her WhatsApp status,”
she said. Manica Post
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