Singer and songwriter Lady Zamar, whose real name is Yamikani Janet Banda, has opened up about the emotional turmoil she experienced following her alleged violation by ex-lover Sjava.
In a candid statement on Threads, she expressed her feelings regarding the lack of an apology from the man she accuses of abusing her, declaring, “I know now that I do not need that apology to be okay. I will just trust God to fix that hurt.”
Lady Zamar initially opened a police case against the married singer in 2017, alleging that he forced himself on her in a hotel room in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, after a concert. Since then, Sjava has consistently denied the accusations, maintaining his innocence. In a video released in 2020, he stated, “I am not a rapist. And I have for years been advocating [against] abuse of any kind, any shape or form, be it women or children abuse, even alcohol abuse.”
Reflecting on her experience, Lady Zamar revealed that she had long blamed herself for the incident. “It had happened two years before I spoke about it, I had always thought it was my fault,” she said during an appearance on Showmax’s Unfollowed. She described feelings of guilt and confusion, believing she was at fault for entering the room without any prior discussion of intimacy. “We had never discussed anything sexual, no intimacy had taken place prior to that,” she added.
In October 2019, Lady Zamar broke her silence on social media, addressing the verbal and sexual abuse she claimed to have suffered at the hands of Sjava. She responded to the backlash she received over her relationship with him, stating, “You guys are exhausting man. I’ve been saying… Your precious Zulu man is a liar and a cheater.” Her comments sparked renewed interest and speculation regarding her relationship with the married artist.
The situation became even more complicated when Sjava's mother, Thandi Nkabinde, made a surprising statement at her son’s One Night With Sjava concert. Introducing a woman as her daughter-in-law, she told the audience, “I don’t want to hear anyone ask anything about who Sjava is dating,” which shocked fans who had previously viewed him as single due to his high-profile relationship with Lady Zamar.
In the wake of these revelations, Lady Zamar faced criticism on social media for allegedly dating a married man. Many questioned how she had not known about Sjava's marital status, leading her to respond with frustration. “I was never a side anything because I didn’t know,” she stated while emphasising her lack of knowledge about his relationship status at the time.
The fallout from their relationship has left Lady Zamar feeling disrespected and hurt. She recalled a particular incident where she was invited to perform at Sjava's event only to discover that his wife would also be in attendance. This revelation added to her sense of betrayal, as she reflected on her experiences of being “abused (verbally and once sexually) and used.”
“I was lied to and cheated on,” she lamented, highlighting the emotional scars left by their tumultuous relationship. Despite the pain, Lady Zamar appears to have found strength in her faith. “There is peace in Jesus Christ,” she shared, indicating her intention to move forward without seeking closure from Sjava.
