A Zimbabwean woman and her friend were lucky to escape jail term on Tuesday after a court found them guilty of assaulting another woman who allegedly called her “too black.”

The court in Matabeleland North heard that 42-year-old Tabitha Moyo learned that her neighbor, Cecilia Tafula, had been making fun of her in their neighborhood for being dark complexion.

Tabitha then teamed up with her friend, 42-year-old Sekani Mwale, to mete out street punishment on Cecilia in the form of a severe beating as neighbors watched in a mix of bemusement and concern.

The court handed down sentences of nine months each for Tabitha and Sekani. However, it also suspended the sentences for five years on condition that they display good behavior, and added 200 hours of community service for both.

The court also considered the fact that the accused both pleaded guilty and therefore exercised leniency. The magistrate, Rose Dube, said she hoped the two will learn a lesson not to take the law into their own hands.