Mphoko Son Released From Jail
Latest Headlines, News Around Africa, South Africa, Southern Africa Friday, June 9th, 2023
(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Former Zimbabwe Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko’s son, Siqokoqela
who was last month jailed for an effective 20 years for raping his
niece on three occasions and threatening her with death, has been
released on $200 000 bail pending appeal against conviction and
sentence.
Siqokoqela was in May sentenced to 20 years in jail by Bulawayo
regional magistrate Elijah Singano for the rape, as well as escaping
from lawful custody.
His lawyer Thabekhulu Dube of Ncube and Partners challenged the
conviction through an appeal to the High Court in Bulawayo and Justice
Evangelista Kabasa granted bail on Thursday.
As part of the bail conditions, Siqokoqela was ordered to reside at
his given address until the matter is finalised, report once every
last Friday of the month to police to surrender title deeds to his
home.
The State was not opposed to the bail application.
The defence counsel highlighted that the trial court erred by ignoring
the fact that evidence presented before the courts noted that the
identification of the person who violated the complainant was
discovered after threats by the mother of the complainant.
This led to both state and defence counsel raising issues of
admissibility of the application based on the fact that the complaint
was made after threats by the complainant’s mother.
Bulawayo Regional magistrate Elijah Singano said the juvenile’s rights
were violated.
Siqokoqela, (44) had pleaded not guilty to the charges arguing that it
was a conspiracy by some family
members.
The trial magistrate had ruled that the age difference between the
accused and the victim was three
times hence showing the low morality of the accused.
Siqokoqela had been further slapped with two months in jail for
escaping from lawful custody and the sentence was to run concurrently
with the 20 year jail term.
the Mphoko family has been making headlines lately over internal feuds
that ended up spilling to the public fora.
His father the former Vice President left Government unceremoniously
after the dethronement of former President Mugabe in 2017 and has been
in and out of the courts.
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