Sjava responds to Lady Zamar's rape claims

Rape is a very serious issue in South Africa. It has the power to destroy lives and it is something which should never be taken lightly.

On Monday, the Cape Town Jazz Festival announced that it will no longer be featuring Jabulani Hadebe aka Sjava on its line-up following media reports that the rapper allegedly raped Lady Zamar. 

Over the weekend, Sunday World broke the story that Lady Zamar has opened a case of rape against Sjava.

The case was reportedly opened in October 2019, though the rape allegedly happened in 2017. 

According to the Sunday World report, the incident took place at the Porche Villa Hotel after the pair had performed at the Royal Heritage Festival in Venda, Limpopo, on 9 September 2017.

Sjava claims this accusation is not true. 

He took to social media to state his side of the story, claiming that he did not rape the musician. 

"Ukokqla angimdlwengulanga u Lady Zamar. I did not rape her," Sjava wrote on Twitter. 

"There are a number of reasons I have not spoken about this matter in public and chose to rather follow the legal processes. Kodwa [But]  it has now become impossible to remain quiet at the same time. I'm going to share information that is necessary to share due to the latest news reports. It is not my intention to stand trial by social media," he wrote. 

He then went on to dismiss those who accused him of threatening Lady Zamar after she claimed he assaulted and abused her in 2019. The assault and abuse allegations were made in October, a month before Lady Zamar went to open a case of rape. 

"People are saying that I made empty threats to take her to court after her allegations last year. Ngithe mina last year I would follow legal processes to protect myself. This was not a threat. It's something that anyone would do to protect themselves if they are accused of doing something that is not true. 

"Okwamanje,  the only thing I would like to share with you is the accurate timeline of everything that has happened since Lady Zamar first made her accusation of abuse last year October," he wrote. 

On 5 December 2019, Sjava says he "met with two police officers from Thohoyandou police station. They asked about the night (in September 2017) that Lady Zamar accuses me of raping her and asked for a statement. I gave my statement. They also got statements from some witnesses who were with us going to, during and coming back from that trip. 

"The police told me that I had not been charged and that they were at this stage only gathering evidence and statements so they could send it to the prosecuting authority would then decide if the case should be charged and prosecuted," he wrote.

Read the full statement below:

Image courtesy of Twitter/ @Sjava_atm