Lobels Biscuits' COO acquitted of rape charges

IN a stunning turn of events, Andrew Dinhidza, the chief operations officer (COO) of Lobels Biscuits Company in Bulawayo, has emerged as a free man after facing a harrowing ordeal. Accused of 10 counts of rape and aggravated assault, Dinhidza has now been fully acquitted of all charges by Bulawayo Magistrate Joseph Mabeza, following an exhaustive trial.

This gripping court case unfolded when several women came forward, alleging that Dinhidza had subjected them to sexual assault within the confines of his office, his vehicle, and various lodges across Bulawayo.  Some of the women were either current or former employees of Lobels, having either resigned or been terminated from their positions.

However, after careful examination of the evidence, Magistrate Mabeza delivered a scathing rebuke to the accusers, revealing that their charges were steeped in malice and born out of a sinister conspiracy to bring down the accused.

Shedding light on the verdict, Magistrate Mabeza remarked: "The accused pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining that the allegations against him were false and concocted out of malice, fuelled by personal vendettas following the complainants' dismissal from the company."

Furthermore, the court expressed lingering doubts regarding the authenticity of the events that transpired at Lobels. The accused vehemently argued that the timing and manner in which the alleged offences were reported bore the hallmarks of a fabricated conspiracy.

In light of these uncertainties, Magistrate Mabeza declared: "The court remains in doubt as to whether these events truly occurred or whether they were part of a meticulously orchestrated scheme. Consequently, the accused is hereby declared not guilty of all charges pertaining to rape and aggravated indecent assault."

Among the allegations brought against Dinhidza was an incident that allegedly occurred in May 2020. According to the testimony, he called one of the complainants into his office, enticing her with promises of a permanent employment contract. However, it is claimed that Dinhidza stipulated that sexual relations were a prerequisite for this offer, to which the woman reluctantly agreed. The accused reneged on his promise, leaving the complainant still relegated to a precarious contract worker position.

Another charge levelled against Dinhidza involved his alleged engagement in sexual activity with a 40-year-old female employee at a local lodge. Here, the accusation maintains that he manipulated the woman into believing that such an encounter would secure her permanent employment.

In a distressing turn of events, another complainant's husband, who happened to be employed at Lobels, faced sudden termination of employment under murky circumstances back in 2013. Faced with the devastating loss of her husband's livelihood, the complainant approached the accused, who held the position of human resources manager at the time, beseeching him for her husband's reinstatement. Dinhidza was said to have demanded sexual intercourse as the price for restoring her husband's employment. The complainant agreed, and the following day, her husband was reinstated.