A Dangerous Weapon, How the Law Can Be Turned Against the Innocent

The Case of Desire Nkala

By The Post On Sunday

In the heart of Harare, where politics, power, and personal ambition collide, a story has emerged that lays bare one of the most dangerous vulnerabilities in modern legal systems—the potential abuse of rape laws. This isn’t merely a legal matter, but a human tragedy unfolding in real time, and at its center is Gwanda North Member of Parliament, Desire Nkala.

The allegations are serious. On the surface, they follow the standard legal script: a woman claims to have been raped. She has named Nkala as the perpetrator. The accusation, if proven, could strip him of his freedom for at least ten years—if not destroy his political career and reputation forever. But as we dig deeper, the narrative reveals more than just a potential crime—it exposes a systemic weakness and the frightening power wielded by a single accusation in a system struggling to balance justice and truth.

According to a police memo, a 37-year-old woman claims that on May 8, 2025, Desire Nkala, a lawmaker representing the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), raped her at a lodge in central Harare. The woman alleges that the MP invited her to the capital after thanking her over the phone on May 5 for her support during the 2023 general election campaign.

They allegedly met, had dinner, and later went to bed—talking until 10PM. Then, according to her account, the situation changed. She claims Nkala began caressing her, disregarded her objections, removed her clothes, and forced himself on her after putting on a condom. She says he then left her crying in the room and disappeared to another lodge where he had booked his own stay.

She claims she returned to Gwanda the next morning, emotionally shaken. Her story, she says, was first shared with her sister and then relayed to other family members, who advised her to take legal action. She filed a police report nearly two months later—on July 5, at Harare Central Police Station—and was examined at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

Nkala, upon being confronted with the accusations, expressed outright shock and denied ever knowing the woman. He alleged a political smear campaign orchestrated by rivals from Zanu PF, meant to assassinate his character and derail his political momentum. “I never held any campaign activity with ladies, let alone inviting them for any meetings later on,” he said.

A Law With Good Intentions, But Dangerous Loopholes

Rape is a heinous crime. It must be taken seriously, and victims must have access to justice without fear of shame, disbelief, or retaliation. The law must protect them. But what happens when the law, designed to shield victims, is turned into a sword used for vengeance, political warfare, or personal gain?

This is where the balance of justice becomes precarious.

Modern legal systems in many countries, Zimbabwe included, rightly aim to encourage survivors of sexual assault to come forward. Yet the framework often places the accused in an impossible position, guilty until proven innocent, in the court of public opinion if not the court of law.

False rape allegations are not common statistically, but when they occur, the consequences are devastating. A single accusation is enough to see a man arrested, ostracized, suspended from work or office, and forever stained in the eyes of society. Even if proven innocent later, the damage is often irreversible.

Friday, Harare regional magistrate Letwin Rwodzi ruled that she had been a willing and active participant in a consensual sex-for-money arrangement with the two men.

Mai Jeremaya recently made headlines after accusing two men, Thabo Blessing Dube and Martin Charlie, of raping her at a Harare lodge.

In Zimbabwe, rape carries a minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars. For the guilty, this is just and deserved. But for the falsely accused, it is a living death. Lives are ruined. Families destroyed. Careers ended. And what makes it worse is how the system intended to protect can be manipulated.

This is not about dismissing victims. It is about demanding the same rigorous standard of evidence, the same due process, for the accused. It is about recognizing that not every accusation is rooted in truth, and that the law must be wielded with balance, not emotion.

If Nkala is guilty, he must face the full weight of the law. But if he is innocent, he is already paying a price no man should ever endure.

His name has been dragged into the mud. His political future is hanging by a thread. And perhaps most painfully, trust between citizens, between genders, between institutions, continues to erode. Every false accusation makes it harder for real victims to come forward and be believed.

We must wrestle with the difficult truth that some individuals have learned to exploit the law, using it to punish, extort, or settle scores. In political environments especially, accusations become tools of character assassination. When the law becomes a battleground for vendettas, everyone loses—most of all, justice.

Desire Nkala’s case is still unfolding. It is not for the public or the media to decide his guilt or innocence. That is the job of the courts, the investigators, and ultimately, the truth.

But what his case reveals is a deeper challenge, a system that can be so easily turned into a trap. We must protect victims of rape, but we must also protect the innocent from false accusations. Justice must cut both ways. Otherwise, we don’t have justice at all, we have vengeance, wrapped in legal clothes.

Let us not allow a noble law to become a dangerous weapon. Let us not destroy lives before we’ve uncovered the truth. Let us have the courage to seek justice for all.