Zanzibar Tourism Commission releases statement on Warere Beach 'penis-stroking' scandal

The Zanzibar Tourism Commission has responded to the Warere beach hotel rape scandal.

Over the weekend, the Hotel in Tanzania went viral after a Nigerian lady named, Zainab Oladehinde, narrated an excruciating sexual assault ordeal she went through at the hotel.

Zeinab says she trevalled to the country from Nigeria for a vacation to mark her birthday. According to her, whilst sleeping in the hotel on the eve of her 23rd birthday, an unknown man managed to sneak into her room to assault her.

"It’s high time I told my horrible experience in Zanzibar as a young solo female traveler. This incident happened a year ago in April of 2021 but I haven’t been able to talk about it cause I’ve been in therapy for a year to heal from the psychological trauma as this experience, has been the most painful and traumatic experience I’ve ever faced in my entire life.

Infact! I’m glad I’m still alive today to share my story. MY 23rd BIRTHDAY VACATION WENT WRONG IN ZANZIBAR , TANZANIA" Zeinab said in a Tweet that went viral.

In a series of tweets, she detailed that "so this was definitely a dream”. I told myself and went back to sleep Some few minutes afterwards, I started to feel my hands stroking someone’s penis. At this moment, I opened my eyes to confirm if It was actually a dream or I was in real danger.

Low and behold, it wasn’t a dream. There was a naked man lying on my bed and touching me at 2am in my hotel room ! He started calling me “baby” and then I became scared cause the room was dark as I had switched off the lights before I went to bed. Now, I was extremely scared".

According to her, she, however, narrowly escaped penetrative with the unknown after she pleaded and lied that she is an HIV patient. "I was crying profusely now and needed to find a quick way to distract him so I started begging him not to rape me but he didn’t understand English as he kept on speaking Swahili to me. I then lied to him that I have HIV and he’d need to get a condom before sleeping with me".

After Zeinab's escape, she went through another episode of molestation in the hands of police officers in Tanzania after she reported the case.

She said she was discriminated against and verbally abused some officers who doubted her story. Following her viral post, the Zanzibar Tourism Commission in a press statement signed and issued by its Executive Secretary, Hafsa H. Mbamba, said it had launched investigations into the matter.

“The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism is shocked and disappointed to learn of this incident and takes these allegations very seriously. An immediate investigation has commenced and we will report its findings,” it read.

“We condemn any harm or threat to our visitors to the peaceful island of Zanzibar. On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism & Heritage, we would like to inform our visitors that the Ministry abhors any ill-treatment of any persons on the isles as this is not the Zanzibar hospitality nor the treatment, we want our visitors to receive,” it added.