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LEAD Press Statement by Linda Tsungirirai Masarira

LEAD Statement on the Alleged Sexual Abuse of a 17-Year-Old Boy by Memory Makedenge

The ongoing public discourse surrounding the alleged sexual encounter between an adult woman, Memory Makedenge, and a 17-year-old boy has sparked national outrage and confusion. As President of the Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD) and a long-standing defender of human rights and children’s protection, I find it necessary to clarify the legal and ethical framework governing such a matter.

Under Zimbabwe’s Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], a 17-year-old remains a minor. A minor cannot legally give full consent to sexual intercourse with an adult. Therefore, regardless of how the encounter appears on video or social media commentary on the boy’s behaviour, the act cannot be deemed fully consensual in law.

While Zimbabwe’s rape definition (Section 65) is outdated and gender-specific making it inapplicable in this instance, the correct offence is Sexual Intercourse with a Young Person (Section 70). This provision exists precisely to protect minors from adults who exploit them sexually, whether through manipulation, grooming, or abuse of authority.

It is imperative for the nation to avoid victim-blaming narratives rooted in toxic masculinity, which assume a minor boy cannot be abused if he appears physically responsive. Biological reactions do not constitute consent.

This incident must prompt Zimbabwe to confront a longstanding gap in gender-based violence discourse: boys and young men can be victims of sexual abuse, and the law must protect them without bias or ridicule. Furthermore, Zimbabwe urgently needs to modernise its sexual offences legislation to adopt a gender-neutral, consent-based definition of rape, consistent with international human rights standards.

LEAD stands firm in advocating for equal protection for all children, strengthening child safeguarding systems, and ensuring that the justice system treats every case of sexual exploitation regardless of the victim’s gender with seriousness, dignity, and sensitivity.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira

President – Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD)

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