Kereke must answer rape charge: Judge

By Tendai Kamhungira

HARARE – A High Court judge has said Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke, accused of raping an 11-year-old girl should be cited as a respondent in an application in which the girl’s guardian is seeking  an order compelling the State to prosecute the businessman-cum-politician.

High Court judge Happias Zhou yesterday said Kereke, a former advisor to Reserve Bank governor, should be included in the court application brought by the girl’s guardian Francis Maramwidze, adding that the parliamentarian was an interested party.

Maramwidze filed a High Court application against the police and Attorney General’s office, claiming that since  October 2009 when he filed a police report, nothing has been done to bring Kereke to court.

Zhou yesterday postponed the case indefinitely to allow the State to respond to the application.

Sharon Fero from the National Prosecuting Authority asked that the matter be postponed indefinitely in order for her to make a proper follow up to the application, for the parties to properly appear before the court.

The girl’s lawyer Charles Warara consented to having the matter postponed.

“We have to serve him (Kereke) with the application and if he intends to oppose it then he will file his papers and consequently the matter will be set down,” Warara said.

In the application, Maramwidze said he initially reported the matter at Highlands Police Station.

“Following this report, the police were expected to take the case a step further by effecting an arrest of the accused. That was not done. He was not even called to report to the police station,” said Maramwidze.

The matter was later referred to Avondale Police Station before being transferred to Borrowdale Police Station.

Maramwidze said after the police report was filed, Kereke started visiting his place of residence, “specifically to persuade” him to drop the charges before threatening to sue him over the case.

He told the court that he made a report to the police pertaining to the threats.

“They (police) even told me to be very careful with the children as well as my life as he (Kereke) was very well connected to Zimbabwe Republic Police and Central Investigation Department officers who were protecting him and could harm me,” said Maramwidze.

“I have lost faith in the criminal justice delivery system which protects the influential,” Maramwidze further said. Daily News