Online Reporter
LET’S make this loud and clear: RAPE IS NOT A TOOL FOR REVENGE, JEALOUSY OR DRAMA. It’s not a weapon you whip out because you’re hurt, angry or feel scorned. It is a serious, soul-wrenching crime that leaves real victims battling trauma, stigma and shattered lives. So when someone decides to cry rape as a stunt, they’re not just crying wolf, they’re setting real wolves loose on those who need the law the most.
In just the past few weeks, two chilling cases have rocked the courts and disgusted the public.
In Hwange, Bvumai Muserere from Binga cooked up a whole rape allegation against her boyfriend, a cop no less. She walked into ZRP Hwange with crocodile tears and a lie so bold it put an innocent man behind bars and in the jaws of the justice system. Days later, she folded on the stand and admitted she made it all up. Why? The court never got a straight answer, but word on the street is there was drama in the relationship. Now she’s behind bars for six months, and rightfully so.
Meanwhile in Bulawayo, Twazibona Dube unleashed hell on her husband, Patrick Chidumo, after a fight over his phone. In a fit of rage, she ran to the cops and screamed rape. He spent a night in jail, his name dragged through the mud, only for her to come clean the next day with a sheepish affidavit. Her sentence? A suspended 90 days, no orange overalls for her, but a lifetime of shame.
Let’s be blunt. This is a vile betrayal of real victims. Every false report chips away at the credibility of those brave enough to speak up after surviving actual sexual violence. It gives defence lawyers ammunition, feeds rape culture deniers, and makes genuine survivors second-guess whether to report. These lies turn the justice system into a circus, wasting police time, resources, and most importantly, doubting the truth when it finally walks in battered, bruised and broken.
It’s a slap in the face to every woman or man who’s been raped and sat silently for years out of fear, shame or disbelief. It’s the reason some predators walk free while survivors suffer in silence. Weaponising rape accusations is not just a crime, it’s an insult to every real victim still gathering the courage to come forward.
To survivors out there: do not let these attention-seeking liars steal your voice. Real help exists. You can report to the Victim Friendly Unit at any police station, approach organisations like Msasa Project, Adult Rape Clinic, or the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association. There are hotlines, counsellors and legal aid to guide you. You are not alone.
But to those plotting to fake it — just know, you’re not helping your cause. You’re hurting the very people you pretend to be. And sooner or later, the law will catch up with your lies.
In this country, we need to believe victims. But to do that, we need the liars out of the way.
Justice doesn’t play games. And neither should you.
derick.khumalo