In a decisive ruling, the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe has dismissed the appeal of Munyaradzi Kereke, former advisor to the Central Bank governor, confirming that he must return to jail to complete his sentence for a high-profile rape case. Kereke, who had been free on bail since August 2021, was initially convicted in 2016 by Harare magistrate Noel Mupeiwa for the rape of his 9-year-old niece at gunpoint.
A Legal Saga Concludes
Kereke’s return to incarceration marks the end of a lengthy and tumultuous legal battle that captured national attention. His case was characterized by numerous legal twists and extended periods of delay, including a six-year hiatus where his case languished in the Prosecutor General’s office. This stagnation ended only when Charles Warara, representing the victim, initiated Zimbabwe’s first private prosecution—a landmark in the country’s legal history.
Kereke had been serving a 10-year sentence when he was temporarily released pending the outcome of his appeal against both conviction and sentencing. During the appeal process, he maintained that the magistrate’s court had misdirected itself on several grounds, but the Supreme Court’s rejection of his appeal has now sealed his fate.
Details of the Case and Prosecution
The case against Kereke was severe, involving accusations of raping one of his nieces at gunpoint, while another count of indecent assault against a different niece resulted in an acquittal. The argument presented by Warara, which ultimately swayed the Supreme Court, emphasized the improbability of such crimes going unnoticed by Kereke’s wife, who was purportedly in the same house at the time of the incidents.
Kereke’s defense argued that his incarceration was politically motivated, especially considering the political shifts in Zimbabwe following the November 2017 government change. However, these arguments failed to gain traction in court. Furthermore, there were allegations that the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services had improperly reduced his sentence and reclassified him from a dangerous criminal to a lesser category, which added layers of controversy and public debate to the proceedings.
The conclusion of Kereke’s case reaffirms the capacity of Zimbabwe’s judicial system to handle cases involving high-ranking officials and sensitive accusations, independent of external political pressures. The use of private prosecution in this case has set a precedent for how similar cases might be handled in the future, particularly in situations where there is perceived reluctance or inability of state prosecutors to proceed.
This case has also sparked widespread discussion about the integrity of the legal process in Zimbabwe, highlighting the need for transparency and fairness, especially in cases involving potential abuses of power and violation of human rights.
Source: New Zimbabwe
