THE house located at number 15 Frank Johnson Avenue in Eastlea, Harare, has been thrust into the spotlight after appearing in various news articles since explosive allegations emerged that it was the crime scene where social media star Mai Jeremaya was allegedly raped by two men.
It’s name —Paradise Guest Lodge — is in sharp contrast to the violent attacks which Mai Jeremaya claims she suffered on that day of horror when she was allegedly raped.
Mai Jeremaya waived her rights to anonymity, which is usually accorded to victims of rape, when she recorded a video which was played on social media, in which she narrated how she was allegedly tricked before being raped.
Two men— Thabo Blessing Dube, 27, and Martin Charlie, 25 — were arrested and appeared in court this week where they were granted bail yesterday by a Harare magistrate.
The State did not oppose the application for bail.
Yesterday, H-Metro visited the house located at number 15 Frank Johnson Avenue in Eastlea and found out that it was a lodge.
It’s official name is Paradise Guest Lodge.
It’s one of two lodges which are found along the same avenue and are located within four blocks of each other.
Paradise Guest Lodge describes itself, on its Facebook page, as “Harare’s premier destination for intimate, private escapes, designed with discretion and comfort in mind it offers exclusive accommodation.”
The lodge, whose location one can also access on Google Maps, says it provides unlimited WiFi to its guests, luxurious beds and secure parking.
However, things get interesting when one gets to know what the lodge charges its guests for its services.
A guest can pay US$20 to stay at the lodge between 9am and 5,30pm.
If a guest wants to spend the night at the lodge, he or she can pay between US$25 and US$30 and they can access their accommodation from 4pm.
“All rooms have hot showers,” the lodge says in its Facebook posts.
When H-Metro visited yesterday, the electric gate was closed and opened automatically when sensors sensed the presence of our crew at the gate.
The H-Metro crew pretended to be guests looking for accommodation.
The crew was told by the receptionist that the cost of the rooms varied.
The response also gave a clue that this was a place where men came with their lovers, including sex workers, to spend some time together, at a bargain cost.
“Our charges vary with the time you want to take with your loved one,” said the receptionist.
“We charge US$10 for two hours, US$20 for the whole day and US$25 for a night that starts from 4pm, thank you.”
We promised that we would be back. As we drove away, we followed a man who was driving a kombi, and had just left the lodge, and we saw him drop the woman who was in his company when they left, along Josiah Chinamano Avenue.
