HARARE – Prominent Zimdancehall producer Tafadzwa Mandaza, better known as DJ Ribhe, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with rape on a 14-year-old girl.
The 32-year-old Chillspot Records music maker was remanded in custody when he appeared before magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa at Rotten Row in Harare.
He was advised to seek bail at the High Court and will be back in court on November 14 for his routine remand.
The girl, according to prosecutors, was reported as a missing person after she failed to return home, having earlier skipped school for two days.
It is alleged that Ribhe took her to Mashwede Village, a popular night spot in Harare, where he influenced her to drink beer and smoke shisha before he took the minor to his home where he raped her while she lay unconscious.
“On the 17th day of October 2024 at around 10PM, the complainant went to the accused’s place in the company of other people and they went to Mashwede Village where the accused manipulated the complainant to drink an unknown substance and smoking shisha,” the court heard.
“It is alleged that on October 18, the two went to Ribhe’s place where the complainant gained her conscience on the 19th day of October 2024.
“When the complainant woke up, she realised that the accused had had sexual intercourse with her and without her consent,” read the outline.
The matter came to light after the girl was spotted in Highfields high density suburb.
She was interviewed by her father and narrated what had happened.
