“This Punishment Is Inhumane”: Alleged Shoplifters Given Classic Zimbabwean Punishment, SA Divided

• Two women in Zimbabwe were subjected to public shaming after allegedly being caught stealing from a local supermarket
• The video shared on X left viewers feeling conflicted as the women were paraded through town looking dirty
• Viewers were divided, with some condemning the public humiliation while others argued it was a fitting consequence for theft

A controversial classic punishment sparked a massive online debate after two suspected shoplifters were forced to walk through the streets in a state of public mockery.

The clip was shared on the X account @CrimeWatchZW on 28 April 2026, where it reached massive views and comments from an online community that shared different views.

The women who were smeared with flour and water from head to toe were followed by a crowd with cameras filming them as they walked around town. Embarrassed, one of the women started running, in an attempt to hide her face, but the crowd followed suit, laughing and commenting about their situation.

Read also

"Grateful your life was spared": E-hailing driver breaks silence after gunpoint robbery, SA moved

The two women were allegedly caught stealing

Giving context to the video, X account @CrimeWatchZW detailed that the two women received a classic Zimbabwean punishment after being caught stealing at a supermarket.

Briefly News reached out to Crime Watch ZW for comments. At the time of publication, they had not responded to us.

Watch the X video below:

SA debates the women's video

The clip gained 63.9K views and many comments from social media users who shared different views. While the woman's alleged thievery was not condoned, many lambasted the supermarket for publicly embarrassing them. They noted that they could have called the police and had the women arrested, instead of making them a mockery. Some, however, felt disappointed that people were speaking against the shop's punishment. They said there was no justification for the theft, no matter how hard the situation was. One viewer said it was the Zimbabwean economy and financial struggles that pushed mothers to steal food.

Read also

"This job is dangerous": Cardash cam video of e-hailing driver robbed at gunpoint has SA disturbed

User @SorojenaT commented:

"I don't support thievery after having lost a lot from thieves. But shaming and doing so is gross. Why not give them some manual labour, even for less than the actual fee?"

@Chocolate_Hub19 said:

"It’s Zim’s hardship that’s pushing our mothers to this extent."

@Master_Hustl3 commented:

"Lawyers, can you sue the supermarket. Cause you can't be doing this. Call the police.

User @blessingwind shared:

"People are justifying stealing in the comments."

User @ChakareTafadzwa said:

"The sympathy shown to these thieves on this thread is the same as that enjoyed by our leaders when stealing from us."

User @@KhumbulaniTwala added:

"We don't support stealing, but this punishment is both illegal and inhumane."

3 Briefly News Zimbabwe-related articles

• An American woman shared the unique cultural lifestyle shifts she experienced after moving to Harare for love, sparking a massive online debate.
• A local salary review discussed the payslip of a Zimbabwean network support technician, sparking an intense debate about remuneration in the neighbouring country.
• Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo made headlines for a massive, generous donation of 10 ambulances to the state, to complete his promise of delivering a total of 20.

Source: Briefly News