By Joe Udo
HARARE (CONVERSEER) – A United States-based 33-year-old Zimbabwean senior high school teacher, Zvikomborero Maria Makedenge, has been charged in court for allegedly raping a 16-year-old male student.
Makedenge was arraigned before Harare Magistrates Court on 28 November, after her sex video with the 16-year-old on 2 August surfaced online
It was alleged that Makedenge invited the victim into her house and forcibly engaged in unprotected sex with him without his consent.
A suspicious neighbour recorded her entering the home, and the boy’s mother found the video, leading to her arrest on 25 November.
Following the act, the accused reportedly cautioned the boy not to disclose the matter to anyone.
It has also been alleged that she promised to facilitate his travel to the United States if he kept quiet.
She received US$500 bail ahead of her 28 January 2026 trial, charged under laws setting the age of consent at 18.
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On his part, the victim, now nicknamed Baltazzar II by Internet users, explained that he was forced by the teacher.
He said, “I have been having problems with my Mathematics subject, She assured me that she can help me understand everything in a short while if she tutors me.
“She invited me over to her house where we would be having private lessons after school hours…I agreed, the first day I got there… she forced me to do it!”
The matter came to light when the complainant bravely disclosed the incident to his sister, who subsequently informed their mother.
The case has fueled arguments over victim status, consent, and gender double standards.
