A Harare magistrate has handed down a 15-year prison sentence to Musa Nyasha Dube Manyika, 41, a former Business Development Manager at Old Mutual, after finding him guilty of raping a University of Zimbabwe intern. The conviction comes following a full trial before Magistrate Esthere Chivasa, highlighting ongoing concerns about workplace abuse and the exploitation of vulnerable students.
The court heard that in November 2022, the 23-year-old complainant, a third-year student on an Old Mutual scholarship, received a WhatsApp message from Manyika inviting her to assist with packing banners at the company’s Gardens office. The prosecution stated:
“Upon her arrival, she went to Manyika’s office, where he allegedly locked the door from inside.”
After the work, Manyika allegedly forced the student onto a table and raped her. The complainant later said he apologised with a branded T-shirt, juice, and cap, while threatening to withdraw her scholarship if she reported the assault.
The State also presented evidence of a second incident on 19 June 2024, when Manyika contacted the complainant under the pretext of discussing her career. At Ashbrittle Shops, he allegedly drove her to a secluded spot, adjusted the passenger seat, and raped her again before returning her home.
Manyika’s defence argued mutual consent, but Magistrate Chivasa concluded the State proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. He was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for rape.
The case has drawn strong reactions from academics and humanitarians. Zimbabwean investment banker and former child prodigy Maud Chifamba updated her earlier remarks after the sentencing, stating:
“Uchatoona vamwe, ma lawyer epano ne ma magistrate epa Social Media achiuya kuzo defender, feeling sorry for this man; rationalizing; regardless of this man being convicted in a full trial. To those men defending this BS… muchabatwa ende munotevera Musa. And we will call you by your name, RAPISTS.”
“Consent requires freedom. When one person controls another’s scholarship, job, or opportunities, that freedom is compromised. There is no consent where there is an imbalance of power. A student cannot consent where the perpetrator is the administrator of the scholarship! If you are part of the crew ikuti ‘it was a relationship gone wrong’… please have some shame. It’s embarrassing in the least.”
“Shoutout to this girl for speaking out; setting an example and showing all those predators out there kuti there are consequences. Hoping anyone who ever faces the same situation gets the same courage to speak; and that Old Mutual and similar well-meaning companies put controls in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Kusvodesa kwacho. Apa ndibaba vanemhuri, munhu weku church futi.”
Chifamba’s remarks highlight the broader systemic issue: students on attachments and scholarship programmes remain particularly vulnerable to abuse by those entrusted with power.
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