One year after, a Nigerian, Zainab Oladehinde (@zainabdehinde on Twitter) summoned the courage to share her traumatic experience in the Tanzanian city of Zanzibar as a solo female traveler.
When she arrived Zanzibar for her 23rd birthday celebration, Zainab never envisaged what would happen.
It’s high time I told my horrible experience in Zanzibar as a young solo female traveler.
— Zainab Oladehinde (@zainabdehinde) April 16, 2022
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
She was fearful when she woke up to discover a man on her bed touching her inappropriately.
so this was definitely a dream”. I told myself and went back to sleep
— Zainab Oladehinde (@zainabdehinde) April 16, 2022
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.
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She lied about her HIV status and pushed the man away, but the assault didn’t stop.
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.
— Zainab Oladehinde (@zainabdehinde) April 16, 2022
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Zainab was surprised to find out there were no telephone lines to reach the reception so she could lodge a complaint.
In a series of tweets that she put out, she accused the hotel, Warere Beach Hotel of assault and theft. She also accused the police in Zanzibar of bullying and harassment.
Other persons have come out, after Zainab’s thread to share their horrible experiences at Zanzibar.
According to @NKhubgwayo, her friend had a similar experience when she visited the city.
Clearly this is a common thing in Tanzania because I have friend who went to Zanzibar and suffered the same and the culprit was the hotel receptionist! https://t.co/bjjNnEWH94
— YT: Nolitha Abroad (@NKhungwayo) April 16, 2022
Zainab’s Twitter thread has had an impact on Warere Beach Hotel as its rating has reduced drastically since the accusation.
Zanzibar is trending. And the Warere beach hotel's Google rating has gone from 4.5 to 1.2.
— Rebecca Enonchong (@africatechie) April 16, 2022
This won't repair what @zanaibdehinde experienced but perhaps it will prevent other women from experiencing similar trauma.
Tanzania needs to improve its experience for Black women.
That lady’s thread of her experience in Zanzibar is shocking. That place will remain off my bucket list.
— MQ Mhlanzi (@MQMhlanzi) April 16, 2022
Nigeria’s embassy in Tanzania was not left out of the lashing.
This is because Zainab said she couldn’t reach the foreign mission after many attempts.
Zainab Oladehinde ‘s ordeal in Zanzibar shows you again that the Nigerian embassy all over the world is as useless as it gets.
— Duke Of Motherland (@DukeMotherland) April 16, 2022
These embassies will only begin to function properly when we elect PRO-PEOPLE leaders, who think and live for the people at all times.
Report to Nigerian Embassy?
— ＤＯＣＴＯＵＲ (@wakawaka_doctor) April 17, 2022
“Why can’t you go to Olumo Rock or Kajuru castle? Who told you to come to Zanzibar? You can’t go to Bar beach?”
..Probable response 😂
Zanzibar’s tourism commission has been forced to issue a statement following Zainab’s allegations.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Hafsa Mbamba, expressed shock at the incident and added that an investigation has commenced.
Authorities in Zanzibar say they have launched an investigation into incident of assault as tweeted about by Zainab Oladehinde yesterday.
— Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) April 17, 2022
(Incident occurred a year ago- yes Zainab tweeted about it yesterday -but authorities etc were aware when it happened.. and they did nothing) pic.twitter.com/PsRKAWaOFB
Zainab’s story has also made many question the safety of women travelers, especially in Africa.
A lesson from this account of how staff at Warere Beach Hotel in Nungwi, Zanzibar raped and robbed a young woman is not “women shouldn’t travel alone.” Women have a right to occupy public space. The lesson is society must assure women’s right to be free and safe in public space. https://t.co/eHZN7DwK4l
— Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) April 16, 2022
Zainab's Zanzibar experience just highlights how endangered women really are.
— 𝐃𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 (@DrJohnBishop) April 16, 2022
The more I think about it the more pissed I get. The audacity to attack her when other rooms had guest all because she's female and alone!
Warere Beach Hotel should be shut down at the barest minimum.
Just read about Zainab’s horrible experience in Zanzibar and i’m so mad. My stomach is churning
— Moe (@Mochievous) April 16, 2022
what a woman Zainab is. That sort of evidence collection under such traumatic circumstances. Damn.
I hate that women have to placed in this position. I hate it
