For example, towards the end of September 2017, Zimbabwe experienced sporadic price increases, which citizens documented and shared on social media. The statements released by government after that spell of price increases blamed inaccurate social media posts for causing panic buying which then led to opportunistic retailers hiking their retail prices. It is apparent that government is convinced that social media was used to induce panic buying in a bid to discredit its efforts in rebuilding the economy. It is these same narratives that government uses as examples of the abuse of social media by Zimbabweans for their own political gains. The arrest of United States citizen, currently working in Zimbabwe, Martha O’Donovan on Friday, 3 November 2017, is one that should be viewed in that context. Martha was arrested in connection with a tweet which allegedly insulted the person of the President. Martha is charged under Section 33 (2) of the existing Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] which criminalises the making of statements which undermine the authority of the President. Her arrest is the first one to be effected in connection with online statements since the creation of the Ministry of Cybersecurity. The same section has over the years been used to restrict offline freedom of expression. Martha’s arrest does serve as a warning on how closely state authorities are now monitoring statements made through social media. Conclusion and predictions If past trends are anything to go by, there is high probability that the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill will be selectively applied through the various State institutions to persecute any dissenting voices on online spaces.