“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
• Briefly News reached out to Crime Watch ZW to understand the shoplifting punishment that is common in our neighbouring country

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.

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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:

Shoplifting humiliation as a punishment

The Briefly News team asked Crime Watch ZW if the punishment was common for shoplifters in Zimbabwe. They said:

“This type of punishment is quite common in Zimbabwe and has been around for as long as I can remember. When someone is caught shoplifting, some shops prefer to deal with it on the spot instead of using the formal arrest process or involving the police immediately. So this is a form of punishment that uses public humiliation.

The person caught stealing may be covered in a mixture of water & flour or a mixture of flour & cooking oil (which is much more difficult to wash off). This is meant to embarrass them and discourage others from stealing. The humiliation often continues even after they leave the shop, as people can easily recognise that this person was caught stealing. Imagine walking around the CBD looking like that.”

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The team asked if individuals can sue the stores for such humiliation. They shared:

“In most cases, the supermarket will also have CCTV footage showing the theft, which makes it difficult for the offender to successfully sue the store. If the offender proceeds to sue the shop, they will simply proceed with pressing charges against the person.”

When asked if such a punishment applies to theft, Crime Watch ZW responded:

“Yes, this kind of punishment is mainly used in cases of shoplifting.”

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.

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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."

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Source: Briefly News