Mweemba and Koni met at a braai. Both of them had been drinking, but not so much. The attraction between the two of them was mutual; they both seemed to enjoy the same music as they took to the dance floor whenever a particular famous musician came on. Sparks flew through the air like electric currents, and one thing very quickly led to another.

After a night of passionate fun, they both left with smiles on their faces, bidding farewell and proceeding with their lives, agreeing that what happens in Siavonga, remains in Siavonga.

Then, a few weeks later, a pair of uniformed police officers showed up at Mweembas work place. They were investigating the rape of a young lady, Ms. Koni and Mweemba was the alleged perpetrator and they needed to ask some questions and asked him to accompany them to central police.

Immediately, his world was turned upside down. He had no choice but to quickly make calls, the weather was not too good, his jacket was in his office on the 7th floor as he had been found on the 4th floor where he was checking on a unit randomly, something he liked to do which made sure his staff were always on their desk. Does he call his wife? What will she say? He remembered how on social media people depict that you carry warm clothing when picked up and now that the new laws does not give bail for rape charges, his heart started pounding. He had no lawyer, never felt the need for one.

Having rape charges can be daunting on one’s mental health. Friends can distance themselves from you; the fear of your work finding out, and firing you on the spot because it’s not good for the company image to have someone accused of rape being the face of the organization or getting a forced transfer to a remote place. And worse, what will your spouse and family say, or the church members?

Rape is not something our male folk society talk much about, because it mainly happens to females but with the introduction of new laws which means its non- bailable, the male-folk have come to the realization of how serious rape is. It is good that everyone is now talking about it.

Being slapped with a false rape accusation can be one of the most terrifying, isolating, and unnerving event that can befall a man, because another individual decides to leverage the power of “the system” to try to destroy ones life, often for reasons one does not know or cannot comprehend. When it happens, there’s frequently no one you can talk to, because everyone just presumes you did it… after all, why would some girl go to the trouble of filing a police report accusing you of such a crime otherwise?

Sometimes people submit to rape because they simply don’t want to die – whether the man has a weapon, or she suspects he has a weapon, or just might strangle her if she doesn’t go along with it, she gives up and stops fighting because rape, horrible as it is, is better than outright death.

In the recent days, men are debating that the rape charge has become a means of violence accessible to bitter and angry women – or even just women who’ve cheated and been found out by their boyfriends – to exact misdirected vengeance on men by leveraging the power of the state to destroy others’ lives. Others are saying, the non-bailable offence will be abused in the political realm with the fear of an opponent sending a “Jezebel” to cry rape after the act. Surely, the nation will likely have low levels of buchende (promiscuity) this year and hopefully for longer than 2026 alone.

False rape accusations can indeed occur. And they are not a consequence of a gender linked abnormality but reflect an impulsive and desperate effort of copying with personal and social stress. Someone can scream rape if they need an alibi, of course if one says she was raped when caught in the act, then it is not cheating. Sometimes its because she wants revenge for not dating her or she simply wants sympathy or make some money if used by someone to accuse a particular somebody.

We have our law enforcers whom we believe will thoroughly investigate every rape accusation to the latter but with the stigma attached to rape that there is, worse now that there is no bail, the mere accusation itself can be enough to significantly damage a man’s social, romantic, and career life for a long time.

Alcohol consumption is a big factor in false rape accusations, but it isn’t the only one. Some people when intoxicated do not remember all that they are doing and a woman might wake up in a man’s bed without remembering how she got there. In our society, such scenarios will ruin one’s reputation hence she might cry rape but others are genuinely drugged even when they did not take so much alcohol to a point that they could not be aware of what was happening.

Rape, unfortunately, is a tremendously ambiguous crime to a specific gender, and that’s where the people who will choose to take advantage of rape laws to further their own agendas will find an opportunity to put the screws on.

Men are crying to say, “you sleep with a girl, give her a great time, and she leaves with a smile on her face, and you’re certain everyone’s had a great time. Or maybe, you don’t even sleep with her – you start to, realize she’s a little too drunk or not your class emotionally and intellectually, and you back off.” Your social circle has distanced itself from you… your employer gives you a forced transfer or removes you from the payroll. You lose a few years of your life due to stress, and quite possibly let a host of other things fall apart as you suddenly, are being interrogated by the police, and looking at a very real chance of going to prison for a long time with no bail. Even if the case is dropped, when the case finally ends and you are found not guilty, the damage is done. We hope our judicial system will be quick to dispose of these cases especially that there is no bail.

In order to avoid false rape accusations:
1. Don’t sleep with drunk girls. I know it’s tempting; others consider drunk girls to be easy, she was probably drinking because she wanted to have sex and be able to blame it on the alcohol, and anyway, she’s coming onto you so hard.

2. Be kind with her after the act. Asking her to leave immediately by ordering a taxi for her when you drove her to your place increases the risks of sex regret– which can make her seek revenge via a false rape allegation later on down the line. You agreed to give her a specific amount of money but you change your mind after the act, be careful.

3. Keep your reputation above-board and discreet. Don’t go for the “playboy” by announcing to all the males in your circle of how you screwed her, she might find that offensive and cry rape. In short, stay faithful.

Some people are generating plenty of emotional or heated views, from people crying wolf and those who are happy with the new law of rape being non-bailable. Making this a debate on false rape accusations is trivializing rape victims. And for those angry or worried that this will be politically motivated because it is an election year, have the wrong end of the tail.

Rape being non bailable is a win for all those rape victims who did not see justice. It isn’t about how all men are bad or all women are bad if they falsely accuse someone of rape. The individual people who will create false rape reports are just as bad as rapists. Because a rapist scars one’s life emotionally and accusing someone falsely is doing exactly just that.

Don’t be discouraged from meeting great women and men out there but don’t be foolish to put yourself in a risky situation that will make you sweat. If you have been on separation in your marriage, you cannot simply turn up at your wife’s house and force yourself on her because she is the mother of your children or because you paid lobala, just because she agreed to come to your room as a bachelor or get into your car to change location does not mean she agreed to have sex with you, seek consent, she needs to agree. Don’t force yourself on anyone, make better wise decisions, remember no bail for rape.

And kudos, to the fact that there is no bail for defilement or incest!

Seek help when in need, visit a Counsellor near you!