Police burst 1000-member gay group

Police have uncovered a 1 000-member gay syndicate in Harare, which is using a WhatsApp group platform codenamed “Private Lounge” to promote illegal relationships.

This follows the arrest in Highfield, Harare, of a 25-year-old man and a teenager who were having an illicit gay relationship.

The man resides in the New Canaan section of Highfield and is employed at a local supermarket while the teenage boy, a Form Four student at a school in the capital, lives in Glen Norah B Extension.

Investigations revealed that sometime in January 2024, the teenager joined the gay WhatsApp group with more than 1 000 members .

He then introduced himself and indicated that he was looking for a partner.

It is alleged that the man who was already a member of the group then contacted him and the two agreed to meet at Machipisa Shopping Centre.

It is said in May, the teenager went to man’s house and the two had some drinks before becoming intimate.

The teenager’s father is said to have discovered some love messages in his son’s cellphone which had been sent by the man and blocked his contact number.

On Monday, October 7, 2024, the man tried to contact the teenager on his mother’s contact number and his father was informed about this development.

He then reported the matter to the police, leading to the pair’s arrest.

The man was taken into police custody while the teenager was released into the custody of his parents as investigations continue.

Gay relationships are illegal in Zimbabwe.

Herald