Munyaradzi Kereke, the former advisor to the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), is set to return to prison to complete his sentence for r_pe. Kereke had been out on bail since August 2021 after being granted a ZW$500,000 bail while awaiting the outcome of his appeal.
On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal entirely, ensuring his return to incarceration.
Background of the Case
Kereke, who previously served as a legislator, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Harare magistrate in 2016 for the r_pe of his then 9-year-old niece at gunpoint. He had already served part of his sentence before being released on bail pending an appeal against both his conviction and sentence.
Kereke was found guilty of r_ping his young niece, although he was acquitted on a separate charge of indecent assault against an older niece. Throughout his trial, Kereke insisted that the magistrate’s court had erred in its judgment, presenting multiple grounds for his appeal.
Charles Warara, representing the victim, successfully argued that Kereke had indeed r_ped the minor at gunpoint and that she had not disclosed the incident to anyone initially. Warara highlighted the implausibility of Kereke committing the crime with his wife in the same house.
Legal Journey and Challenges
Initially, his case stalled at the Prosecutor General’s office for six years before proceeding to trial. Notably, this case marked the first instance of private prosecution in Zimbabwe, spearheaded by Warara after the then Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana declined to prosecute, citing insufficient evidence.
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Following his conviction, Kereke pursued numerous avenues to regain his freedom, including leveraging changes in government post-November 2017, claiming his incarceration was politically motivated. Despite these efforts, Warara contended that Kereke had already benefitted from sentence reductions and reclassifications within the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS).
Kereke’s case drew additional controversy when it was revealed that his prison term had been reduced, and his classification altered from that of a dangerous criminal to a less severe class C criminal. The victim’s guardian lawyer challenged the ZPCS to provide justification for these modifications.-iharare
