Harare, (New Ziana) -Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe special advisor and Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke who has been out on bail, is back in prison to serve the remaining 20 months of his jail term after the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed his appeal against both conviction and sentence for rape.

Kereke, who was convicted and incarcerated in 2016, left prison on ZWL500 000 bail in August 2021 after he had lodged an application in the Supreme Court, challenging the dismissal by the High Court in May 2019, of his appeal against conviction and sentence.

He was convicted on one count of rape and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by the Harare Magistrates’ Court on July 11, 2016, following a private prosecution instituted by his victim’s grandfather and guardian, Francis Maramwidze.

The court conditionally suspended four years of the jail term for five years, leaving him to serve an effective 10 years.

On Friday Supreme Court Judges Justices Samuel Kudya, George Chiweshe and Tendai Uchena dismissed Kereke’s appeal in its entirety, putting finality to the matter and compelling him to report back to prison.

Without giving details of how he found his way, an official with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) confirmed on Tuesday that Kereke was now back in prison.

Sources on Monday had indicated that Kereke was expected to hand himself over to the prison authorities soon after learning about the failure of his freedom bid.

Even after he was left with only 20 months to complete his sentence, Kereke was determined to have both the conviction and sentence overturned.

New Ziana