Judgement Reserved in Mai Jeremaya Rape Case as Accused Seek Discharge
A Harare magistrate has reserved judgment in the rape case involving Thabo Blessing Dube and Martin Charlie, who stand accused of sexually assaulting socialite Ashley Masendeke — widely known online as Mai Jeremaya.
The defence team, represented by lawyers Shepherd Makonde and George Manokore, applied for the charges to be dismissed at the close of the State’s case, arguing that the prosecution had failed to present a credible and consistent case.
At the centre of the courtroom debate was testimony from the State’s key witness — a close friend of Mai Jeremaya and the first person she allegedly confided in after the incident. According to her, the complainant initially said she had only consented to sleep with one of the two men because he had spoken to her kindly. This version conflicted with Mai Jeremaya’s formal claim that she was raped by both men.
The witness also pushed back against the complainant’s suggestion that she had tried to perform an exorcism on her after the alleged rape. She told the court that Mai Jeremaya became upset when her husband found out about the incident, claiming she had hoped it would remain private.
But under cross-examination, the witness admitted that her own version of events had changed over time and didn’t always line up with her earlier statements or the complainant’s testimony. She conceded that it was difficult to say which version was actually correct.
Pointing to these contradictions, the defence lawyers said the State had not done enough to justify putting their clients on trial and called for the charges to be dropped.
The court will rule on June 27 whether the accused will be discharged or must take the stand to defend themselves.
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