The appeal was heard by judges Bongani Ndlovu and Munamato Mutevedzi at the Bulawayo High Court, who determined that the original conviction lacked reliability.
Furthermore, significant delays in the reporting of the alleged crime were also taken into account, suggesting a lack of credibility in the claims made against him.
Additional Charges and Sentencing
Despite the successful appeal regarding the rape conviction, Mphoko was not wholly exonerated. The judges upheld his conviction for an additional charge of escaping lawful custody. This charge stemmed from an incident where he fled from a police station shortly after his initial arrest. For this escape, Mphoko received a two-month prison sentence.
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Uproar online against the ruling
When the news of the court ruling was shared on X, many people were outraged. There is large outcry by people against the ruling of the court. Many people have complained that the judiciary is not protecting children. Below are some of the comments:
@munzvengure
Aggrieved parents must seek private prosecution. This is a travesty of justice. We are all not children of shefs
@leesah_zimbo
Dangerous judges conniving with dangerous rapists against young kids.
Arrest people with pedophilic disorders please they don’t deserve to be in our societies cmon is it because he’s former VP’s son
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The post Former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s Son Siqokoqela Wins Appeal Against Jail Sentence For Rape appeared first on iHarare News.
