HARARE – Rockford “Roki” Josphats has apologised for the public drama that followed a viral video showing him being confronted and pulled by an unidentified woman in Harare, while insisting that he did not have sex with her and that he was assaulted during the altercation.
The Urban Grooves star has faced intense public attention since footage of the confrontation began circulating on social media on August 11, 2026. The video shows Roki dressed in a suit as the woman, who appears to be wearing only a top, repeatedly demands money. Several people nearby can be seen trying to separate the pair.
The woman is heard saying, “I want my money,” while Roki responds: “They drank my beer. They drank my Hennessy.” The clip captures only the confrontation and does not show the events that led to it. The amount of money allegedly involved has not been made public, and the woman’s identity has not been established.
Roki, aged 41, has now given his account of what happened, saying the episode began after a performance at Jam Tree. He said he had been looking for company after the show and had been drinking Hennessy whisky given to him by a fan who had been on stage.
“Firstly, I would like to apologise for the drama that was captured on video, where I was assaulted by a woman. I hooked up with three ladies at a show at Jam Tree after our performance, and we had shots of Hennessy whisky, which I had been given by a fan on stage. I needed some female company because, nowadays, I am a divorcee with a busy schedule. We proceeded to a local studio owned by my friend, where I had fun. One of the girls became interested in me and was demanding sex for most of the day,” Roki said.
“It’s funny how that lady kept pestering me for sex, but I couldn’t have sex with her since we were at someone’s office. She then started pulling my clothes and tearing my waistcoat, attracting the attention of neighbours. I kept asking her to adjust her dress since she was not wearing underwear, but she would not listen to me.”
The video has fuelled speculation that the dispute was linked to an unpaid sexual arrangement. Roki rejected that interpretation, saying he had not had sex with the woman and that the public had reached its own conclusion after seeing the footage.
WATCH | Musician Roki involved in a squabble with a thigh vendor after allegedly enjoying the forbidden fruit and failing to pay.
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“I know I got myself into trouble after the video went viral, but I did not have sex with that lady. On that note, I would like to apologise to my family, funders and friends who look up to me. I still maintain that I didn’t have sex with her. I actually recorded a song with Alick Macheso titled ‘Mari YaRosa’ after the incident.”
He said he asked people at the office to record the confrontation because he wanted a record of what was taking place in case the matter reached the courts. Roki also said he chose not to fight back, arguing that a physical response would have damaged his reputation further.
“I am actually the one who asked to be recorded so that I could use the footage as evidence in court if it was needed. I was dressed in my suit, and I couldn’t engage in a fight because I wanted the world to know that I am not a violent man. I also filed a police report at Harare Central after realising that I was an assault victim. I avoided drama by not engaging in a fight on the day in question because I have a reputation to protect.”
There has been no public confirmation of the outcome of the police report. Roki’s account remains the main explanation offered by him for the altercation, while the widely shared video shows the dispute at the point when it had already become physical. The musician said he understood why the incident had caused embarrassment, particularly for his children, relatives, friends and younger performers who view him as a senior figure in Zimbabwe’s music industry. He apologised to those who had been affected by the attention surrounding the footage.
Roki has also accepted that he played a part in creating the circumstances in which the incident happened. He said his decision to spend time with women after shows had placed him in a vulnerable position, although he continued to deny having sex with the woman in the video.
“I am partly to blame for the choice of ladies I sometimes hang out with after shows, but on that occasion, I did not have sex with her.”
He added: “Baba Macheso has also given me a word of encouragement to be strong after that incident. It was never a publicity stunt, but I was a victim of physical violence.”
Roki also spoke about the effect of the controversy on his public image. The singer has spent more than 2 decades in the spotlight, and his personal life has often been discussed alongside his music. He said he did not want the latest incident to become the defining story of his career.
“It’s not good to being in the news for the wrong reasons but this time I was abused,” he said.
The apology comes at a time when Roki has been trying to balance his established music career with new work away from the stage. Earlier in 2026, he spoke about running a poultry business with his sisters at his rural home in Seke. He said the venture was intended to provide an additional source of income while allowing him to remain active in music.
“Being a musician is my life, and that will not change. In our industry we need to have a side hustle that provides something for survival. I have been doing this business with my sisters in Seke and I enjoy it a lot. Musically, I haven’t stopped and I am considering updating some of my musical files that I came across. Some of the files that I have just received were recorded in my studio, which was based at Soul Jah Love’s family house in Waterfalls. I have a lot coming this year, and I have never stopped despite my chicken business.”
He has also continued to describe himself as a mentor to younger musicians. Roki is credited with helping several performers develop their careers, including the late Soul Jah Love, who began as his dancer. He has said that he wants to support new talent without turning mentorship into a contest over who deserves recognition.
The latest controversy has therefore landed in the middle of a career that has included major successes, public setbacks and several attempts at reinvention. Roki rose to fame in the early 2000s as one of the leading voices of Zimbabwe’s Urban Grooves movement. His generation included singers and producers such as Plaxedes Wenyika, Leonard Mapfumo, Alishias “Maskiri” Musimbe, Ottis Ngwabi, Pauline Gundidza, Dino Mudondo, Sani Makhalima, Alexio Kawara, Diana Samkange, Betty Makhaya, Tererai Mugwadi, Daniel “Decibel” Mazhindu and Nesto.
His songs “Seiko” and “Chidzoka” helped establish him as a major name in the movement. “Chidzoka” later became one of the songs most closely associated with his early career, while his ability to combine contemporary sounds with local themes helped make him one of the best-known urban musicians of his time.
Roki’s career has not been free of controversy. In 2012, he was disqualified from Big Brother Africa after a physical altercation with fellow housemate Maneta. The decision became another widely discussed moment in his public life, although he continued to release music after leaving the programme.
In 2021, he returned to the spotlight with “Patati Patata”, a collaboration featuring Congolese rhumba star Koffi Olomide and Tanzanian singer Rayvanny. The release reinforced his links with artists beyond Zimbabwe and showed his determination to remain active after years in the industry.
That history helps explain why the latest video spread so quickly. Roki is not an unknown performer whose private dispute might pass unnoticed. He is a recognisable figure with a long-standing audience, a large body of work and a public image shaped by both music and controversy.
The footage has now placed attention on a brief encounter outside the studio, but Roki is trying to shift the focus back to his work. He said he recorded “Mari YaRosa” with Macheso after the incident and that the veteran musician encouraged him to remain strong. He has also maintained that the confrontation was not staged to promote a song or attract publicity.
The woman in the video has not spoken publicly in the available account, and there is no confirmed record of any payment dispute being resolved. What is clear is that a private disagreement became a public spectacle after the recording was shared widely online. The clip shows a confrontation, Roki’s response and the efforts of bystanders to intervene. His later statements provide his account of what came before it, including his claim that he was assaulted and that no sex took place.
For now, Roki says he accepts responsibility for the poor decisions that brought him into the situation, while rejecting the claim that he failed to pay for sex. His apology to his family, colleagues, fans and younger musicians is an attempt to close a damaging chapter and return attention to the music that first made him famous.
“I know I got myself into trouble after the video went viral, but I did not have sex with that lady.”
The singer’s next challenge will be to move beyond the viral footage without allowing it to overshadow his continuing work as a performer, producer and mentor. For an artist who has repeatedly rebuilt his career, the incident is another test of how he handles public scrutiny after a private moment becomes impossible to contain.