Harare, 6 March 2026 – A senior manager at Old Mutual has been convicted of raping a University of Zimbabwe intern, reigniting national debates on workplace abuse and the exploitation of vulnerable students by those in positions of power.
Musa Nyasha Dube Manyika (41), a married Old Mutual’s Business Development Manager, was found guilty on two counts of rape by Harare Regional Magistrate Estere Chivasa after a full trial. He is expected back in court today for his pre-sentence hearing.
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The complainant, a third-year University of Zimbabwe student and beneficiary of an Old Mutual Scholarship, testified that in November 2022, Manyika lured her under the guise of helping pack office banners at Old Mutual Gardens. Once in his office, she alleges he raped her.
She told the court that Manyika
“apologised and gave her a branded T-shirt, a juice bottle and a cap,”
before threatening to withdraw her scholarship if she disclosed the assault.
The second incident allegedly occurred on 19 June 2024, when Manyika arranged a meeting at Ashbrittle Shops to discuss her career. Prosecutors said he drove her to a secluded spot, adjusted the passenger seat, and raped her again before returning her home.
Manyika’s defence denied the charges, claiming mutual consent and a relationship. But Magistrate Chivasa concluded the State proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
This case is part of a disturbing pattern of power abuse in Zimbabwe, particularly affecting interns and students dependent on scholarships or attachments. Zimbabwean accountant and investment banker Maud Chifamba commented in 2024 on the original allegations:
“Quite saddened by the stories of abuse I am getting in my DMs related to that Old Mutual story…It is my hope that Old Mutual Limited and all companies and individuals who give scholarships take action to protect beneficiaries of such benevolent gestures from men & women who use the power they have and the recipients’ desperation to be so evil and malicious.”
Chifamba further explained:
“Consent cannot be given where there is an imbalance of power…Using this opportunity to remind you that its not all bad – some people are really good and well meaning…But in situations where one is vulnerable, and another holds significant power like this; you can never say vakawirirana. What he allegedly did is DESPICABLE and very SHAMEFUL.”
Her remarks highlight the broader systemic issue: students on attachment and scholarship programmes are particularly vulnerable to abuse by those entrusted with their careers.
High-profile cases like this echo earlier Zimbabwean rulings against executives and professionals who abused their authority, reinforcing the judiciary’s commitment to protecting young women in workplaces and educational programmes. Legal experts say the conviction could encourage more victims to speak out, following the ethos of the global #MeToo movement.
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