Legal
Mudiwa Community Guidelines
On this page
- How we enforce the rules
- R1 · Be yourself
- R2 · Adults only (18+)
- R3 · Be respectful
- R4 · No money requests or scams
- R5 · No sex for money, and no transactional arrangements
- R6 · No explicit content, and never share intimate images without consent
- R7 · No hate
- R8 · Keep meetings safe
- R9 · No spam, selling or business use
- R10 · Don't pretend to be someone else, or use what isn't yours
- How reporting works
- How appeals work
- Thank you
Version: 1.0 · Effective date: 26 October 2026
Mudiwa means "beloved". We built it so people in Zimbabwe can meet someone real, safely, and with respect. These ten rules are how we look after each other. They're short on purpose. Every warning, pause or ban on Mudiwa shows the number of the rule it's about (R1 to R10), so you'll always know why.
These rules sit alongside our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Where a rule mentions a law, it means Zimbabwe's Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], including the offences added to it by the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07]. Section numbers (for example "s164E") are to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
How we enforce the rules
We want people to learn and stay, not to be punished for an honest mistake. So for most rules we start with a warning. But some things are so harmful that we act straight away.
| Action | What it means |
|---|---|
| Content removed | We take down a photo, prompt or message that breaks a rule. |
| Warning | A message in the app explaining which rule and why. Your account works as normal. |
| Pause | Your profile is hidden and you can't send messages for a set time (usually 7 days), or until you fix something (for example, replace a photo). |
| Ban | Your account is closed permanently, and we take steps to stop you coming back. |
| Report to police | For serious crimes, especially anything involving children, we report to the police as the law requires. |
Repeated warnings for the same rule lead to a pause, then a ban. For serious harm, we may skip straight to a pause or ban.
A person always decides. Our automated tools can blur a photo, show a warning in chat, or flag something for review. A trained member of our team makes the decision before any warning, pause or ban. If our selfie check suggests someone may be under 18, a person reviews it and may ask for proof of age.
R1 · Be yourself
Use your real first name, your own recent photos, and honest details.
Mudiwa only works if everyone is real. That's why everyone does a selfie check before they can message.
This means:
- Use your real first name (or the name people actually call you).
- Use photos that are clearly you, taken within the last few years, with your face visible in your main photo.
- Be honest about your age, what you're looking for and your relationship status.
- One account per person.
Not allowed, for example:
- Photos of someone else, a celebrity, a cartoon or an AI-generated face.
- A main photo of a group where nobody can tell which person is you.
- Saying you're single when you're married, or "looking for something serious" when you're not. We can't check this ourselves, so we act on reports.
- Making a second account.
What happens: photo removed and you're asked to replace it (pause until fixed). Fake profiles and duplicate accounts are banned.
R2 · Adults only (18+)
You must be 18 or older. Never try to contact or meet anyone under 18.
Mudiwa is for adults only. Contacting a child online to meet for sex is a serious crime in Zimbabwe.
Not allowed, for example:
- Joining if you're under 18, or lying about your age.
- Photos of yourself that make you look like a child, or photos of children on their own. Family photos with children aren't allowed in your profile either, to protect those children.
- Asking someone whether they're "really" over 18 in a sexual way, or showing interest in younger-looking people.
What happens:
- If we think you might be under 18, we may pause your account and ask for proof of age. If you're under 18, we close the account. You're welcome back when you're 18.
- Anyone who tries to contact or meet a child for sex is banned and reported to the police (s165A).
Reports of a possible minor are always treated as urgent.
R3 · Be respectful
Treat people the way you'd want your sister, brother or best friend to be treated.
It's fine not to be interested. It's not fine to make someone feel unsafe, small or afraid.
Not allowed, for example:
- Insults, name-calling or mocking someone's looks, body, weight, skin colour, accent or background.
- Repeated messages after someone has stopped replying, unmatched or said no.
- Threats of any kind, including "I know where you live" or threatening to share someone's photos or messages.
- Pressuring someone to meet, to send photos or to move to another app.
- Sharing screenshots of someone's profile or chats to shame them.
- Unwanted sexual comments, especially as an opening message.
What happens: warning for rude or pushy behaviour. Pause or ban for repeated harassment. Immediate ban for threats, and we may report them to the police (s164A covers threatening messages and s164B covers cyber-bullying and harassment).
R4 · No money requests or scams
Never ask for, or offer, money, airtime, data, gifts or "help". Never send money to someone you've met on Mudiwa.
Romance scams start with a sad story or a generous offer. Our system watches for money requests and will warn you, but the best protection is a simple rule: money and dating don't mix here.
Not allowed, for example:
- Asking for EcoCash, InnBucks, bank transfers, airtime, data, school fees, transport money or rent, even "just this once".
- "Blesser" offers: promising money, phones, rent or a lifestyle in return for a relationship, photos or meeting.
- Investment, crypto, forex or "business opportunity" pitches.
- Pretending to be stranded, sick or in trouble to get money.
- Asking for someone's ID, bank details, PINs or one-time codes. Mudiwa will never ask you for your sign-in code either.
- Asking for intimate photos and then threatening to share them unless someone pays (sextortion). That's also a serious crime under R6.
It's fine to split the bill on a date or for one person to pay for coffee.
What happens: ban for any money request or scam. If someone has lost money or been threatened, we'll help them report it to the police.
R5 · No sex for money, and no transactional arrangements
Mudiwa is for real connection. Nothing on Mudiwa can be bought, sold or exchanged for sex.
Not allowed, for example:
- Offering, asking for or advertising sex, "company", massages or "services" in exchange for money, gifts, rent, school fees or any other benefit.
- "Sugar" or "blesser" arrangements, or "allowance" relationships.
- Escort or "happy ending" adverts, price lists or links to them, including in coded words or slang.
- Using Mudiwa to recruit people for any of the above.
What happens: ban. We may report it to the police where the law requires.
R6 · No explicit content, and never share intimate images without consent
Keep your profile clothed. Only share photos in chat when both of you have turned photos on, and never share anyone's intimate images without their permission.
On your profile, not allowed:
- Nudity, underwear-only or swimwear photos that are sexual in pose, sexual acts, or sexual content in your prompts.
- Sexually suggestive usernames or bios.
In chat:
- Photos in chat only work when both people turn them on.
- Photos our system thinks may be explicit arrive blurred. You choose whether to look.
- Never send sexual images to someone who hasn't clearly said they want them.
Never, ever:
- Share, forward, screenshot or threaten to share an intimate image or video of anyone without their consent. This is a crime in Zimbabwe (s164E).
- Share any sexual image of anyone under 18. This is a serious crime (s165A), however it was obtained.
What happens:
- Explicit profile content: removed and a warning; repeat means a pause, then a ban.
- Unwanted explicit images in chat: warning or pause, then ban.
- Sharing intimate images without consent, or threatening to: immediate ban, evidence kept, and we support the victim to report to the police.
- Any sexual image of a child: immediate ban, and we report to the police as the law requires.
These reports are always urgent.
R7 · No hate
Everyone deserves dignity. Don't attack or demean people for who they are.
Not allowed, for example:
- Attacking, insulting or excluding people because of their race, tribe, ethnicity, nationality, colour, religion, disability, health status (including HIV status) or gender.
- Slurs, including in Shona, Ndebele or any other language.
- Tribal or xenophobic insults, or saying a group of people is less than human.
- Symbols, images or language that promote hatred or violence against a group.
It's fine to say what you're looking for in a partner (for example, sharing your faith). It's not fine to put down people who are different.
What happens: removed and a warning; pause or ban for repeat or serious cases. Racist and xenophobic material sent through a computer or app is a crime (s164F).
R8 · Keep meetings safe
When you meet someone from Mudiwa, make it safe for both of you.
Our advice for every first date:
- Meet in a busy public place, like the ones we suggest in the app.
- Use Share my date to send your plan to someone you trust, and set a check-in.
- Get yourself there and back. Don't accept a lift from someone you've just met.
- Keep your drink with you and stay sober enough to make good decisions.
- Don't go to a lodge, a private home or an isolated place on a first date.
- Trust your gut. You can leave at any time, without explaining.
Not allowed, for example:
- Pressuring someone to meet somewhere private or isolated, or to change plans at the last minute.
- Turning up somewhere you weren't invited, or following someone.
- Lying about who will be there (for example, bringing friends without saying so).
- Any violence, sexual assault, robbery or threat, before, during or after a date.
What happens: warning for pressuring behaviour; immediate ban for any violence, sexual assault, robbery or threat, and we'll cooperate with the police where the law allows.
If you're in danger, call the police on 995, or emergency services on 999. Then report it in the app.
R9 · No spam, selling or business use
Mudiwa is for people looking for a partner, not for promotion.
Not allowed, for example:
- Advertising products, services, events, churches, parties or social media accounts.
- Asking people to follow you on other apps, or posting links.
- Sending the same message to lots of people, or using bots or automation.
- Recruiting for jobs, pyramid schemes or "business opportunities".
- Asking to move to WhatsApp straight away. It's fine to swap numbers later when you both feel comfortable, but we'll show a reminder to take your time.
What happens: content removed and a warning; ban for spam accounts, bots or repeat promotion.
R10 · Don't pretend to be someone else, or use what isn't yours
Don't impersonate anyone, and don't use other people's photos, words or brands without permission.
Not allowed, for example:
- Pretending to be another real person, a celebrity, a public figure or a Mudiwa team member.
- Pretending to represent a company, church, NGO or government body.
- Using someone else's photos, art, music or writing without permission.
- Using the Mudiwa name or logo in a way that suggests you work for us.
If someone is pretending to be you, report the profile in the app. Choose "This is pretending to be me" and we'll prioritise it. You'll be asked to do a quick selfie check so we know it's really you.
If someone has used your photos, art, music or writing without permission, report the profile in the app, or email kudzilenett@gmail.com with a link or screenshot, what was copied, and why it's yours.
What happens: impersonation profiles are banned. Content that infringes someone's rights is removed; repeat infringers are banned.
How reporting works
You can report a profile or a conversation from the profile or chat itself, or from the Safety centre. You can also block or unmatch at any time. Blocking is instant, and the other person isn't told that you reported them.
When we review reports: every day, 07:00 to 23:00.
| Type of report | We review it within |
|---|---|
| Urgent: a possible minor (R2), violence or threats (R3, R8), intimate images shared without consent or a sexual image of a child (R6) | 2 hours |
| Everything else | 24 hours |
These are the times we work to. Reports made between 23:00 and 07:00 are picked up from 07:00, with urgent ones first. If you're in danger right now, don't wait for us. Call 995 or 999.
You'll hear back. When we've reviewed your report, we'll tell you what happened: for example, "We removed this profile under R4". To protect everyone's privacy, we won't share every detail.
Your report is confidential. We never tell the person who reported them.
False reports. Reporting someone you know hasn't broken a rule, to get them banned, breaks R3.
How appeals work
If we've warned, paused or banned you and you think we got it wrong:
- Open the message in the app about the decision.
- Tap Appeal within 30 days and tell us why, in your own words. You can add screenshots.
- A member of our team who wasn't part of the first decision reviews it and answers within 48 hours.
- If we made a mistake, we'll restore your account and remove the warning straight away.
You can only appeal each decision once. If you can't open the app, email kudzilenett@gmail.com from the address you sign in with, and tell us what happened.
Some decisions can't be appealed, for example a ban for child sexual abuse material. We may also limit what we can explain where sharing details would put someone at risk or interfere with a police investigation.
Thank you
Most people on Mudiwa are here for the right reasons. These rules protect them, and you. If something doesn't feel right, tell us. We read every report.
Questions about these rules, or about safety or privacy? Email kudzilenett@gmail.com.