HARARE – In a dramatic turn of events, Harare magistrate Letwin Rwodzi has acquitted Thabo Dube and Martin Charlie, two Harare men who stood accused of raping socialite Ashley Masendeke, popularly known as Mai Jeremaya.
The court’s decision, delivered on Friday, 4 July 2025, hinged on the magistrate’s assessment that the State’s case was too weak to warrant a conviction, citing inconsistencies in the complainant’s testimony and a lack of corroborating evidence.
Magistrate Rwodzi minced no words in her judgment, stating, “From a clear analysis, the complainant’s evidence is unsatisfactory. I conclude so because in the present case, both accused gave their own explanation, which was not rebutted by the state. Inconsistencies fly in the face of the complainant’s evidence. On the other hand, the accused have remained consistent that the encounter was consensual.”
The magistrate highlighted that Mai Jeremaya had provided three different and inconsistent statements to the police, further undermining the credibility of her allegations. “She told the court that she was told to change her statement by one of the police but the state did not call that police officer to testify,” Rwodzi noted, adding that this conduct was inconsistent with someone genuinely pursuing justice.
The magistrate also criticised Mai Jeremaya’s actions in hiring a private investigator who allegedly terrorised the accused, stating that this further indicated a fabrication of the rape allegations. “Evidence reveals an ulterior motive, either of extortion or to buy sympathy from her husband,” Rwodzi asserted. She also noted the failure of the private investigator, Tafadzwa Chidawa, to immediately surrender the accused to the police, reinforcing the suspicion of an ulterior motive. “The failure to report to the police and a pursuit for compensation after the alleged rape shows that the allegations were fabricated,” Rwodzi stated.
In her summation, the magistrate emphasised the court’s duty to deliver justice. “The function of the court is to do justice,” she said. “It is trite that if a litigant gives unsatisfactory evidence, their case is trashed.”
Rwodzi highlighted the fact that Mai Jeremaya had used the money she received from the encounter, further supporting the conclusion that it was an agreed transaction. “There is credible evidence that Dube had a sexual encounter with Mai Jeremaya,” she stated. “The totality of the evidence concludes that the sex with the second accused was consensual. He paid for the lodge, he paid for the transport and he gave the accused some money.”
The magistrate also dismissed Mai Jeremaya’s claim that the lodge was in a quiet location, making it impossible for her to scream for help. She noted that video footage presented in court showed the lodge to be a busy place, suggesting that the evidence was exaggerated. Furthermore, the lodge manager testified that no one could access the lodge without paying first, contradicting Mai Jeremaya’s testimony that the room had two doors and that Charlie used the other door to enter the room.
“In summary, the State’s case is riddled with inconsistencies,” Rwodzi concluded. “The defence version has remained consistent. On the totality of the evidence, the complainant was a consenting part in the sexual encounter. It clearly shows willingness to engage in sex for financial benefits. This supports the conclusion that there was an agreement for consensual sex.”
Ultimately, the magistrate concluded that Mai Jeremaya had succumbed to domestic pressure. “The prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Rwodzi stated. “I hereby find both the accused not guilty and acquitted of rape.”
Following the acquittal, Mai Jeremaya took to social media to express her gratitude for the support she had received throughout the ordeal. In a statement posted on her Facebook page, she acknowledged the court’s ruling and reiterated her personal truth.
“Makadii kwa muri mhuri ye Zimbabwe. I would like to inform each and everyone who had been following my case from the beginning. Today marks the end of the court procedures. The court ruled and acquitted the two men i had accused of raping me. They are free. I would like to thank you for all your moral support and prayers during this difficult time. I am nolonger as ashamed as i was when i first broke out the story nekuti makamira neni.
“I feel relieved because i managed to pursue this case to the end. I am not disappointed in the verdict either because they were thorough in trying to find evidence beyond reasonable doubt, it was always going to be their word against mine and that is what i am left with, “My truth”.
“I am simply greatful that my voice was heard in the courts of law and that my case will serve as an example of what to do or what not to do kana uchinge wasangana nedambudziko rakadaro. I had every intention of concealing this matter because of the intrinsic details that would not add up. I spent the last two months wondering what i could have done differently asi nguva yekudaro panga pasisina kondaida kuti zviitirwe ani.
“Ndati handinganyarare kukuudzai nekutya kusvororodzwa. Ndipo pandave ne life guys, makaita henyu. Mwari ndiye ega anoziva zvese. Ndinokutendai nekunyadziswa pamwechete neni ndinovimba Ishe samasimba ose achakupai zvishuwo zvemoyo yenyu. Hupenyu hupenyu 😞❤️🙏🏽.”
Charlie recounted the events of the day, stating that after meeting Mai Jeremaya in the Harare CBD, accompanied by 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.
Charlie disputed Mai Jeremaya’s claim that they were going for a shoot at some company, stating, “I dispute that because when we left Joina City we had agreed that we were going to the lodge for sexual activity.”
He also denied claims that he had intimidated Mai Jeremaya on the day in question, asserting, “That’s not true because we were playing music and laughing along the way, no one was afraid.”
Charlie further stated that he was the one who had agreed to engage in sexual activity with Mai Jeremaya, so Dube had no reason to get inside the lodge first.
Charlie then provided a detailed account of what happened inside the room, stating, “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,” Charlie said.
Charlie said he believed the rape allegations stemmed from Mai Jeremaya’s desire to preserve her marriage after her husband had been made aware of her involvement in sex work.
“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,” Charlie concluded.
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