MAI JEREMAYA RAPE ACCUSED MEN ACQUITTED: The Moment of Liberation for Two Harare Men Acquitted of Rape
By Dorrothy Moyo | ZimEye | A wave of emotion swept through the High Court steps Friday morning as Thabo Dube and Martin Charlie emerged victorious, walking free men after a harrowing ordeal that had seen their names dragged through the mud over rape allegations brought by popular socialite, Ashley Masendeke, better known as Mai Jeremaya.
The two men, sharply dressed in navy suits and broad smiles, stepped out of the court building under the golden sun, not just acquitted — but vindicated.
It was more than a legal victory. It was a declaration of freedom. The relief was written all over their faces — the quiet triumph of men who had been held in society’s dock long before a court ever pronounced judgment.
Harare magistrate Letwin Rwodzi delivered a firm and unequivocal ruling that eviscerated the prosecution’s case, describing it as “riddled with inconsistencies” and lacking the credibility needed for a conviction.
“From a clear analysis, the complainant’s evidence is unsatisfactory,” ruled Rwodzi. “The accused gave their own explanation which was not rebutted. Inconsistencies fly in the face of the complainant’s version of events.”
Throughout the trial, the accused men had maintained their innocence, asserting that the sexual encounter was consensual — and transactional. The court agreed, finding the complainant’s claims unconvincing and at times contradictory.
Rwodzi criticized the complainant’s shifting narratives, including three separate and inconsistent statements to the police, and noted her failure to report the matter immediately. “The sequence of events clearly demonstrates that the complainant’s report to the police was not a completely voluntary decision,” she said.
Adding to the court’s doubts was the revelation that Mai Jeremaya allegedly told her friend Cynthia that the incident was “a secret,” only crying rape after being confronted. The magistrate pointed to this as further evidence of ulterior motives — either extortion, emotional manipulation within her domestic life, or both.
To underscore the unreliability of the complainant’s account, video footage was played in court, disproving her claims about the lodge setup and the presence of multiple doors. The magistrate also cited testimony from the lodge manager, who confirmed that no one could access the premises without paying first — a fact that contradicted the complainant’s testimony.
But it was perhaps the complainant’s own courtroom confession that sealed the outcome: “In court, she admitted that she was the one who went on top and guided the second accused into her vagina,” Rwodzi stated.
As the verdict was delivered, a heavy cloud lifted from the shoulders of the accused. After months of public shame and legal battle, Dube and Charlie walked into the sunshine with their dignity intact, their names cleared, and the nightmare behind them.
“Justice has been served,” one of their lawyers said outside court. “Our clients were innocent from the start. Today they walk not just free, but restored.”
“We are happy not because they have been acquitted but justice has been done,” the lawyer added.
For Dube and Charlie, every step away from the courthouse was a reclaiming of life, reputation, and freedom. A silent message to all those who watched them with doubt: truth, when patiently pursued, still holds power.