Siqokoqela Mphoko, the son of former vice president Phelekezela Mphoko has successfully appealed his conviction and 20-year jail sentence for raping his niece.
Bulawayo High Court judges Bongani Ndlovu and Munamato Mutevedzi ruled the conviction was unsafe, citing that the complaint was coerced by the child’s mother and influenced by leading questions from social workers.
The delay in reporting the crime also undermined the conviction.
However, the court upheld his conviction for escaping custody, sentencing him to two months in prison for fleeing the police station after his initial arrest.
Mphoko was out on bail pending the appeal.
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