Ghanaian musician and media personality Mzbel has revisited the controversial incident she experienced during a performance at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in 2005, insisting that she was not sexually assaulted, as has often been reported.
In a recent interview with broadcaster Kafui Dey, Mzbel explained that the incident happened after she finished performing, but the audience repeatedly encouraged her to return to the stage. She said that after performing several times, she decided to leave, but some people in the crowd grabbed her and attempted to pull her back.
According to Mzbel, the situation quickly became wild as people pulled her in different directions while she screamed for help. She said she eventually lost consciousness during the struggle. Addressing reports that she had been raped, Mzbel strongly disputed the claim, saying, “Nobody touched my private part.” She added that she was wearing trousers and leggings underneath her outfit at the time.
The incident, which occurred during a KNUST event in October 2005, has remained one of the most discussed episodes of Mzbel’s early career. Academic and media accounts have described the incident as an assault in which she was pulled into the crowd by students, while Mzbel’s recent account provides her own description of what happened. She also said that some individuals were identified from footage and that the matter eventually went to court, although she could no longer recall how the case ended.
Mzbel’s latest account has brought renewed attention to the 2005 KNUST incident. While reports over the years have characterised the episode in different ways, the musician maintains that she was caught in a chaotic struggle, lost consciousness and was not raped or touched on her private parts
