dyton mupawaenda
CHILLSPOT Records producer DJ Ribhe has changed his lawyer but he is still likely to spend, at least, a month in custody pending finalisation of investigations into allegations he raped a teenage schoolgirl.
DJ Ribhe, whose real name is Tafadzwa Mandaza, is one of the stars at Chillspot Records.
He appeared in court last week and was remanded to next month pending finalisation of the investigations.
DJ Ribhe appeared before regional magistrate Tilder Mazhande, who remanded him to December 3.
He has been in custody since the beginning of this month.
DJ Ribhe is yet to file his bail application at the High Court after his family told his lawyer Dumisani Mthombeni that they had secured another lawyer for him.
Mthombeni is Chillspot Records’ stable lawyer who has represented its two biggest stars — DJ Fantan and DJ Levels — in their previous brushes with the law.
The allegations facing DJ Ribhe are serious.
He is alleged to have drugged his 14-year-old Form 2 victim before raping her.
The victim resides in the same neighbourhood as DJ Ribhe.
The State is alleging that on October 17, DJ Ribhe took the teenage girl to Mashwede Village.
It is the State’s case that DJ Ribhe manipulated the minor into drinking an unknown substance and smoking shisha.
Later that night, DJ Ribhe took the girl to his home where she regained consciousness the next day.
It is alleged that when she woke up, she realised that DJ Ribhe had raped her.
This is as serious as it can get.
DJ Ribhe is not guilty right now and it is up to the court to decide whether he raped the teenager or he is innocent.
We are just a newspaper and we don’t have the capacity to make either conclusion.
But it is our job to report about the case as professionally as we can.
It is our job to highlight that raping anyone is not right and drugging and raping teenagers is an evil act.
It is our job to ensure that celebrities like DJ Ribhe are held to account for their actions and for all their fame they are just like everyone else before the law.
Their fame doesn’t give them the immunity to do as they please.
It’s like the Diddy case, he is not guilty of anything but he is in custody because the charges he is facing are serious.
Imagine if DJ Ribhe had just appeared in court for a day and was given bail.
It would have sent the message that the charges he is facing are not serious ones.
He would have been back in the neighbourhood, which he shares with the victim, and it would have sent the wrong message to the victim.
We are happy that the courts are showing us that they are treating these rape cases with the seriousness they deserve.
Online Reporter