Detective Kedha in hot soup as Magistrate rips into lula lula active Mai Jeremaya after a ‘false’ rape accusation

HARARE – The aftermath of Mai Jeremaya’s rape trial, which concluded on Friday, has ignited a firestorm of debate, with a Harare magistrate’s scathing assessment of the social media influencer’s testimony placing controversial private investigator Tafadzwa “Detective Kedha” Chidawa firmly in the spotlight.

Magistrate Letwin Rwodzi deemed Mai Jeremaya an active, consenting participant in a paid sexual encounter, dismissing her evidence as riddled with inconsistencies.

The ruling has sparked a mixture of reactions, with some sympathising with Mai Jeremaya, while others believe justice has been served to the two accused men, Thabo Blessing Dube and Martin Charlie. However, the spotlight has now turned to the methods employed by Detective Kedha, who apprehended Thabo and Martin after they allegedly lured Mai Jeremaya.

Thabo Blessing Dube, 27, and Martin Charlie were apprehended by Tafadzwa Chidawa, who runs Matrix Private Investigations after allegedly luring Mai Jeremaya. At the time, Chidawa and Mai Jeremaya alleged that the duo lured Mai Jeremaya, a mother of three, under the guise of being clients responding to her social media adverts on April 30th.

Matrix Private Investigations “exposed” Dube, whom many at the time called “Zimbabwe’s Thabo Bester,” in reference to the infamous South African criminal.

In a harrowing Facebook post after engaging the services of Detective Kedha, Mai Jeremaya detailed her ordeal which has since been quashed by the court, explaining how the pair had allegedly stalked her for weeks.

“I am shaking as I write this. I have to. Ndagurwa kunorira hama dzangu. My life, my whole livelihood, has been broken. These two men have been hunting and chasing me for over three weeks pretending to be clients,” she wrote.

Following the sexual encounter, which we can now safely say was never a rape incident, but a sex-for-money deal gone wrong, as has been explained by magistrate Rwodzi, Mai Jeremaya said she received medical treatment and reported the matter to Waterfalls Police Station. A court date was scheduled and Mai Jeremaya quickly urged any other woman who may have been victimised by these men to come forward.

“If you were also a victim like me, please come forward. She continued that their phone book has more than 50 contacts they did this to”.

She also pleaded, “Please open up even anonymously. Mhuka iyi haifanire kuona zuva chero zvadii,” in another post, expressing her desire for justice. Interestingly, to date no woman has come forward to allege that she was raped by Thabo and Charlie.

Instead, a man only identified as Baba Tanya has come forwward to claim that he would have been another Mai Jeremaya victim if he had entertainer her sexual advances. Baba Tanya says he was milked over US$300 by Mai Jeremaya who demanded sex and money from him through multiple WhatsApp messages.

According to Matrix Private Detectives, the phone number used to contact Mai Jeremaya had a profile picture of a wealthy South African man and a car with the number plate “Sam 1.”

“This team uses a phone number with a South African wealthy man on the display picture and a car with the plates indicated ‘Sam 1’. We have revealed some shocking details,” Matrix wrote on Facebook.

Social media erupted after Tafadzwa Chidawa, private detective and founder of Matrix Investigations, confirmed the arrest on Facebook. He claimed that many more women were now coming forward.

“We can confirm that Matrix Private Detectives have arrested Thabo Blessing Dube and Martin Charlie for gang raping a female celebrity after pretending to be clients. The two are currently detained at Waterfalls Police,” Chidawa stated at the time.

Chidawa also claimed at the time that the suspects’ phones contained contact details of over 50 women.

“Yesterday we thought it was just a few victims, but more than 100 girls and women have been trapped by these guys,” Chidawa added, though it is surprising that to date there seem not to be any tangible details that support these claims of other victims, as many as 50 to 100, who came forward to nail the two men.

Thabo and Martin claimed they were ordered to pay US$500, later reduced to US$300, to secure their release before being handed over to Waterfalls police. They further alleged they were detained for over two hours, paraded on social media, and assaulted by Chidawa during their interrogation.

The magistrate, in her ruling, questioned the role of private investigator Tafadzwa ‘Detective Kedha’ Chidawa in the drama. She stated that Mai Jeremaya had presented three different versions of the same case.

“In trying to prove its case, the State led evidence from Cynthia Duringo and Asley Masendeke (Mai Jeremaya’s real name) and three statements authored by Masendeke were produced as well as a medical affidavit. The two accused persons outrightly denied any wrongdoing and common cause facts are that Martin Charlie had sex with Masendeke,” Magistrate Rwodzi said.

The magistrate highlighted that Mai Jeremaya had been communicating with Dube for over two months, was desperate for money, and was experiencing marital problems, which she shared with Dube. The magistrate also noted that Mai Jeremaya accepted US$20 and an InDrive ride home and did not intend to report the incident to her husband or the police. The report was made by her friend without her consent.

“According to the medical report penetration was indefinite because she was sexually active prior to the alleged offence. There was a tug-of-war between the accused and Masendeke and from a clear analysis, her evidence was unsatisfactory, it cast doubt in the court’s mind. Both of them gave their explanations which are reasonable to be true, her testimony was marred with material contradictions while they remained consistent in their evidence that it was sex in exchange for money,” Magistrate Rwodzi stated.

The fact that neither Mai Jeremaya nor the State called Detective Kedha to testify during the rape trial has raised eyebrows and fuelled speculation about the legitimacy of his methods.

Legal experts have weighed in on the potential legal avenues available to Thabo and Martin. Speaking anonymously, several lawyers suggested the men could pursue criminal charges against Chidawa for cyberbullying, unlawful detention, and assault. They could also pursue civil claims for defamation damages resulting from the public shaming they endured.

One lawyer cited relevant sections of the law, including:

• 164B. Cyber-bullying and harassment: This section addresses the intentional use of a computer or information system to send data messages with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause emotional distress.
• 164C. Transmission of false data message intending to cause harm: This section addresses the intentional dissemination of false information via a computer or information system with the intent to cause psychological or economic harm.

Another lawyer stated, “Thabo and Martin, just like any citizen, are protected under privileges… This is what can happen now, generally remedies they can pursue involve malicious prosecution or defamation lawsuits. What Chidawa did in filming and sharing of the video is a cyber offence.”

A third lawyer emphasised the right of the two men to press criminal charges against Chidawa and seek damages from both Mai Jeremaya and Chidawa, citing unlawful detention and cyber bullying as potential grounds for criminal charges, and the public humiliation as grounds for a claim for damages.

Finally, one lawyer pointed to malicious prosecution and attempted blackmail as potential avenues for legal action, highlighting the alleged demand for US$500 from the duo on behalf of Mai Jeremaya, and the potential for assault charges if any bodily harm was inflicted. The unlawful detention for more than two hours was also cited as a potential criminal offence.

As the dust settles on the Mai Jeremaya rape trial, it appears Detective Kedha may now find himself facing legal challenges of his own, as questions mount over his role in the saga and the methods he employed in apprehending the two accused men.

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