Mai Jeremaya pleaded with one of the two men suspected of gang raping her to use a condom just before she was allegedly raped at a lodge in Harare on April 30.
The social
media star, whose real name is Ashley Masendeke, waived her right to anonymity,
which is usually reserved for victims in sexual abuse cases, when she recorded
a video and discussed the case on social media.
Mai Jeremiah is
accusing Thabo Blessing Dube and Martin Charlie of deceiving her and raping her
at the lodge in the capital.
The two have
denied the allegations.
She took the
witness stand to open the State case before regional magistrate Letwin Rwodzi
on Friday. The social media star painted a graphic picture of how she was raped
and how the incident has destroyed her eight-year-old relationship with her
partner.
The State,
represented by Cecilia Mashingaidze, called Mai Jeremaya to the stand to
narrate the events leading to the alleged rape incident. In a graphic
illustration of the events, Mai Jeremaya told the court that:
· She started
crying when she realised she was about to be raped by Charlie.
· Fear of her
attacker forced her to remove her clothes, when Charlie removed his clothes,
she pleaded with him to use condoms. Charlie allegedly fondled her and demanded
that she should kiss his private parts.
· After being
allegedly raped by the duo, she initially decided she was not going to tell
anyone about her ordeal because she feared the backlash, including the
embarrassment she would have to endure.
· One of her
attackers scared her when he claimed he had access to some classified
information and he would hunt her down and find her wherever she would hide.
· She suffered
physically and has since been forced to rely on medication, including some
which she reacted to, which makes it difficult for her to sleep.
· She now
suffers from anxiety and although she was having challenges with her partner,
before this incident, she feels the case has destroyed that partnership.
Asked what she
does for a living, Mai Jeremaya said she was an actress.
“I’m an actress
and a musician, I’m a social media influencer.”
She added: “I’m
not formally married but I’ve been cohabiting with my husband for the past
eight years and we have three children.
“I know the two
because they gang raped me on April 30.
“I know Thabo
through Charlie as we picked him up when we were already together but I started
knowing them on the same day.
“On the day in
question, I was in Westgate where I had visited my family friend with my
children and I responded to a WhatsApp message from one Sam.
“It wasn’t the
first time he had messaged me, previously he had requested for the price that I
would charge for advertising his trucks.
“On April 9, I
had received a call from one Dube who had said he was from Elite Driving School
and wanted me to shoot an advert for them but he never came to the meeting as I
was with my husband.
“When I got
into town on the 30th, I contacted Sam, asking for directions to where we would
meet, and I had emphasised that I didn’t have money to use to get back home.
“Sam gave me a
number to call saying he was busy but his driver would pick me up, I called the
number and waited for hours before Charlie came to pick me up.”
She told the
court that she was under the impression they were going to ‘Sam’s office.
“I was then
shocked when we got into the ‘office’ to see a bed and the two locked me in the
room.
“When I
realised that I was about to be raped I started crying and Dube warned me that
it would infuriate Charlie.
“Dube left the
room and Charlie started taking off his clothes, I demanded that he use
condoms.
“Because I was
afraid when Charlie started removing his clothes I also removed my dress and
left my bra and pulling socks on.
“He started
fondling me and I removed the rest of my clothes.
“He raped me
before Dube came and joined in.”
Asked by
prosecutor Mashingaidze if she was in agreement, Mai Jeremaya said:
“I don’t
believe I was in agreement but I was acting out of coercion and fear, if I had
wanted to engage in sexual activity it would have been with Sam, not these
boys.
“Initially, I
had decided that I wasn’t going to tell anyone about my ordeal because, besides
that I have a public persona, I didn’t want to be embarrassed.
“He had scared
me by saying he had access to classified information and he had told me scary
stories and he would find me wherever I would be.
“I suffered
physically as I had to take medication which I reacted to, I have anxiety, I
can’t sleep even though we were having problems with my husband. I think this
destroyed my marriage, I have been embarrassed.”
In their
defence, the duo told the court that Mai Jeremaya was the one who initiated the
meeting via a text message to Charlie and denied the State’s claims that they
contacted her first.
They told the
court that Mai Jeremaya was picked up by Charlie in the Harare CBD and they
proceeded to Eastlea where they picked up Dube and his girlfriend.
The group
returned to the CBD to drop off Dube’s girlfriend and Charlie went to buy lunch
leaving Dube and Mai Jeremaya in the car.
The duo claimed
that while Charlie was away, Mai Jeremiah allegedly got a chance to speak
privately with Dube and she revealed that she had recently separated from her
husband and was desperate for money.
They told the
court that she allegedly complimented Charlie’s car, a double cab truck, and
his iPhone, describing him as “well-off” before she proposed an hour of
consensual sex for a fee of US$20.
Dube told the
court that he conveyed the message to Charlie and the parties agreed to engage
in consensual sexual activity at a lodge for US$20.
Charlie said he
drove to the lodge and Mai Jeremaya allegedly demanded for advance payment,
which was given, and she voluntarily undressed, engaged in foreplay, including
kissing and caressing Charlie, assisted him in wearing a condom, and assumed an
active role during the consensual intercourse.
The duo told
the court that after the sexual encounter, Mai Jeremaya allegedly demanded
US$500, citing that she had given Charlie what she termed “extras” in that she
had kissed and engaged in foreplay with him.
Charlie told
her that he couldn’t afford such an amount and she allegedly reduced it to
US$300.
He again told
her that she couldn’t afford it.
They told the
court that Mai Jeremaya never expressed distress or lack of consent.
They claimed
that she later engaged controversial private investigator Tafadzwa Chidawa, who
kidnapped them and their parents demanding US$500, which they refused to pay.
The duo claimed
the that the rape allegations claimed from the failed extortion attempt.
The trial
resumes tomorrow. H Metro
0 comments:
Post a Comment