HARARE – Musician Desmond “Stunner” Chideme, known for his hit tracks and energetic performances, is once again facing assault charges, this time for allegedly attacking a nine-year-old girl and her mother in Glen Norah.
The incident, which occurred on August 25th, has drawn attention to a concerning pattern of alleged violence associated with the musician. Stunner appeared before Mbare Magistrates’ Court on August 29th, where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault, H-Metro has reported.
The court heard that Stunner’s daughter was playing with three friends in the Specimen area when a fight broke out. During the altercation, Stunner’s daughter reportedly fell and started crying.
It is alleged that Stunner then intervened, attempting to protect his daughter from further harm, but ended up assaulting the nine-year-old complainant.
Catherine Matiza, the second complainant and mother of the nine-year-old girl, tried to intervene, but was also allegedly assaulted by Stunner. He reportedly dragged her to his yard, causing her to bleed, in an attempt to avoid onlookers.
A case was reported to Glen Norah Police Station, leading to Stunner’s arrest.
However, Stunner’s defence counsel, Dumisani Mthombeni, alleged bias and selective treatment by the police. He claimed that Stunner had reported the incident on August 25th, but his report was not captured on time, and he was only arrested on the assault charges.
“Your Worship, the accused person has complaints against the police who were biased and selective in handling this case,” Mthombeni said.
“The police were selective in taking the complaints and not capturing his report on time. He first reported the matter on August 25th, under RRB 6105134 at Glen Norah Police Station. They didn’t take his case and only made him arrested on this case.”
The State, however, stated that it would investigate the case. The presiding magistrate remanded the matter to September 12th for trial.
This is not the first time Stunner has faced assault charges. In June 2022, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his ex-wife, Dione Tafirenyika. Stunner claimed that his ex-wife, who was nearly 20 years his junior, fabricated the charges after he asked her to leave their marital home due to her alleged infidelity.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a disagreement over Dione’s refusal to hand over her mobile phone to Stunner, which escalated into a physical altercation. He allegedly slapped her and forcibly removed her artificial nails.
A year later, in 2023, Stunner was again reportedly arrested in Durban, South Africa, after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. Local publications reported that Stunner was out partying with his girlfriend when one of the men they were with made advances towards her. Stunner’s girlfriend did not hesitate to give out her number, which angered Stunner, leading him to physically assault her.
These repeated allegations of assault have cast a shadow over Stunner’s career, raising concerns about his behaviour and the potential for violence. While he has denied the charges in the latest case, the pattern of alleged incidents is a cause for concern.
