Lula lula details revealed in court: “Mai Jeremaya removed the condom and said ndonaka kukunda murume wavo… she was caught cheating”

In a sensational twist to the ongoing gang rape trial, Martin Charlie, one of the two men accused of assaulting social media personality Mai Jeremaya, has claimed that their sexual encounter at a Harare lodge on April 30 was entirely consensual and that she even complimented his performance, saying he was better than her husband.

Charlie made the startling claims while giving his testimony in court, stating that Mai Jeremaya had willingly participated in the act and had even informed him that she charges US$20 an hour for sex. Judgment in the case is expected to be handed down on Friday.

Charlie recounted the events of the day, stating that after meeting Mai Jeremaya in the Harare CBD, accompanied by the other accused, Thabo Blessing Dube, they proceeded to a fast food outlet at Joina City before heading to the lodge.

“After we met on the day in question, in the company of the first accused Thabo Blessing Dube, we went to Joina City where I disembarked and left Mai Jeremaya and Dube sitting in the car. I went to KFC where I bought my food and ate there before going back to the car,” Charlie told the court.

He continued, “When I came back to the car, Dube advised me that Mai Jeremaya was offering sexual services so I looked back at her to confirm if Dube was telling me the truth, and she said ‘yes’. I looked at Dube and we both laughed, then I looked at her again and asked her if she was serious and she said ‘yes’. I then asked her of the charges and she said she charged US$20 per hour. I then asked her where we would engage in the sexual activity and she said at a lodge,”

Charlie’s lawyer, Shepherd Makonde, then asked him to identify the lodge, to which Charlie replied that they went to Paradise Lodge, located at number 15 Frank Johnson.

Makonde quizzed Charlie, “What would be your comment if the complainant told this court that when you left Joina City you were going for a shoot at some company?”

Charlie responded: “I dispute that because when we left Joina City we had agreed that we were going to the lodge for sexual activity.”

Charlie was also questioned about claims that he had intimidated Mai Jeremaya on the day in question. “That’s not true because we were playing music and laughing along the way, no one was afraid,” he asserted.

Charlie’s lawyers further probed him to respond to Mai Jeremaya’s claims that Dube was the first to disembark upon their arrival at the lodge. “That’s not true because I’m the one who had agreed to engage in sexual activity with Mai Jeremaya so he had no reason to get inside the lodge,” he said in response.

Makonde then asked Charlie to narrate what happened when they got into the room, given the claims that he had forced sexual intercourse with Mai Jeremaya.

Charlie responded with a detailed account: “When we got into the room, after I closed the door and we sat on the bed, she asked for her money, which was the payment in advance. I gave her the money which she put away before she removed her clothes and was left with a bra and pulling socks. She then walked to me and I stood up, then she removed my shirt, she started sucking my nipples and kissing my stomach. She then got hold of my belt while kissing my nipples and further removed my trousers…and then pushed me onto the bed. She asked me where the condoms were and I told her that they were in my pocket, then she took the condom and opened it with her mouth, and put it on me. She removed her pulling socks and mounted on top of me. She (asked) me if it was going well and if I was enjoying it? I then said it was going well.”

He added: “I then stopped after I was done and she removed the condom, thanking me, saying I had done it better than her husband. She then started demanding more money saying she had given me extra. She said she wanted US$500 and I told her that I didn’t have that kind of money, then she said even US$300 was okay and I still told her that I didn’t have that kind of money. She said okay, then we went to take a bath then left the lodge for town where I booked an InDrive to take her home. She never screamed during the act and she did all she could for us to enjoy and the place was full that if she had screamed for help, she would have been assisted,” said Charlie.

Asked where he thought the rape allegations had emanated from, Charlie said he thought Mai Jeremaya wanted to preserve her marriage as her husband had been made aware that she was having sex in return for money.

“I don’t know where the rape allegations emanated from because she didn’t show any signs of distress on the day in question but I think she wanted to preserve her marriage after she had been caught engaging in extra marital sexual activities. On 3 May, she called me asking about my whereabouts and she came with Tafadzwa Chidawa who asked me how I could have sex with Mai Jeremya for US$20 instead of the US$500 that she was demanding.

During cross-examination, prosecutor Cecilia Mashingaidze challenged Charlie’s account, accusing him of lying to the court because, in her view, his narration did not indicate anything out of the ordinary that could be deemed as ‘extras’ warranting additional payment.

The case has captivated public attention due to the high profile of the complainant and the sensational nature of the allegations and counter-allegations. As the trial nears its conclusion, the nation awaits the court’s judgment, which is expected to be delivered on Friday. The outcome will undoubtedly have significant implications for all parties involved and will likely spark further debate about the complexities of consent, sexual exploitation, and the role of social media in shaping public perception.

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