Siqokoqela Mphoko, son of former Zimbabwean Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, has successfully appealed his conviction and 20-year prison sentence for raping his niece.
The ruling was delivered by Bulawayo High Court judges Bongani Ndlovu and Munamato Mutevedzi, who determined that the initial conviction was flawed and “unsafe.”
The appeal judges found that key factors undermined the conviction, including the fact that the complaint was reportedly induced through coercion and threats from the child’s mother, alongside leading questions posed by social workers.
Additionally, significant delays in reporting the alleged crime also played a critical role in the court’s decision to overturn the conviction.
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However, while Siqokoqela Mphoko was acquitted on the rape charges, the High Court upheld his conviction for escaping lawful custody after initially fleeing a police station following his arrest. For this offense, he was handed a two-month prison sentence.
Mphoko had been out on bail pending the appeal process.
This ruling marks a significant turn of events in a case that had drawn considerable public attention due to the nature of the allegations and Mphoko’s high-profile family background.
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