By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Rapper Kikky Badass, born Christabel Stembeni Mahlungwa, has been being ordered by the Masvingo High Court to pay US$18,000 in defamation charges.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Sunsley Zisengwe, stems from a March 2023 Instagram post where Kikky alleged that prominent Masvingo lawyer and businessman Rodney Saratoga Makausi was pursuing her romantically.
Makausi initially sought a astonishing sum of US$500,000 in damages after Kikky refused to remove the post, which got attention from her 235,000 followers.
The lawsuit escalated when Kikky failed to adhere to court procedures, notably neglecting to file Pre-Trial Conference issues as mandated by Justice Garainesu Mawadze. Her absence from the PTC on October 1, 2024, led Makausi to pursue a default judgment.
Makausi, represented by Samuel Banda of Advocate’s Chambers in Harare, later amended his claim for damages to US$60,000. However, the court settled on awarding him US$18,000 in damages.
In his statement to the court, Makausi emphasised the impact of the post on his reputation, noting, “As a devout Christian, professional man, respected legal practitioner, and officer of the court, in a fairly small city like Masvingo, my reputation and character are my currency. The respondent’s defamatory posts have however caused irreparable harm to that fame.”
He continued, expressing the emotional toll the post took on him.
“The embarrassment and ridicule that I have suffered as a result of her defamatory post is borne for no reason at all. While it is not mathematically possible to fully compensate for the injury, I verily believe that an award of damages in the sum of US$60,000 would serve in some way to ameliorate the injury to my reputation,” he added.
Earlier in the proceedings, Kikky attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds that Makausi could not seek civil damages in United States dollars, contending that it is not the official currency of Zimbabwe.
Justice Zisengwe rejected her plea, allowing the case to move forward and ultimately leading to the significant ruling against the rapper.