Munyaradzi Kereke back in prison after appeal is dismissed

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.

Justice Mwayera of the Supreme Court had initially granted him bail pending appeal.

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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).