admin
Nyore Madzianike Senior Court Reporter
Suspected serial rapist, Naboth Kereke, who was on the run since April last year after failing to present himself in court to answer to two counts of rape and another two counts of fraud, was yesterday back in the dock on fresh similar charges for crimes he allegedly committed during the period he was wanted by police.
Kereke (38) appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Tafadzwa Miti facing fresh two counts of rape and another two counts of fraud.
He was not asked to plead to the charges before he was referred to the regional court where magistrate Mr Themba Kuwanda revoked his initial bail after he noted that Kereke wilfully decided not to attend court.
Mr Kuwanda remanded Kereke in custody to January 20 in the interim before returning to court on March 28 for trial.
It is the State’s case that sometime on September 17, 2020 one of the women he allegedly raped visited Kereke at his Highfield residence in the company of her boyfriend.
The woman and her boyfriend wanted Kereke to assist them locate a place to lodge, since he passed himself as an accommodation agent.
Kereke allegedly offered to move around the neighbourhood looking for a place to rent with the woman’s boyfriend and left the lady at his residence.
It is said that Kereke and the woman’s boyfriend returned late in the night resulting in him offering the two a place to sleep at his brother’s house.
The following morning, the woman’s boyfriend left for work and left his lover with Kereke so that they would sort out accommodation issues.
The court heard that Kereke took the woman to a certain house in Highfield where he showed her an empty room with only a bed.
The woman is said to have paid US$20 to Kereke in rentals and asked him for directions to Waterfalls.
Kereke allegedly walked with the woman towards Gwanzura Stadium saying it was the shortest distance to Waterfalls. Allegations are that when they reached a certain secluded place, Kereke suddenly grabbed the woman by the neck and told her that his wife was suspecting that he was having a love affair with her.
He then allegedly told her that she was supposed to pay for his wife’s suspicion.
The woman attempted to flee but Kereke tripped her and raped her.
As if that was not enough, Kereke told the woman that he was not satisfied and raped her again.
Kereke is said to have escorted the woman to Parktown, Waterfalls where he begged the woman to keep the incident as their secret.
The woman later phoned her boyfriend informing him of the sexual attack before she went to report to police.
The next day, they went to the house where they had paid the US$20 only to be told that it was a lodge.
On his fresh charges, it is said that on January 7 last year a woman was walking around Jerusalem, Highfield looking for a house to rent when she passed by Kereke’s place looking for him.
She later called Kereke and was told to go to DX Medical Centre in Jerusalem Highfield where he said there was a vacant room.
Upon arrival, she then met Kereke who demanded US$10 for his fees.
The woman gave him US$8 and failed to get the remainder.
On April 11 last year, Kereke called the woman to a certain borehole near Gwanzura Stadium demanding the remaining US$2.
Upon arrival Kereke allegedly told the woman that there was another nice room to rent in the Paradise section of Highfield and they agreed to go check the place.
On their way back, along a footpath along Mukuvisi River, Kereke allegedly grabbed the at a secluded place near PHD Church and raped her.
It is alleged that he raped the woman twice before asking to bath in Mukuvisi River. The woman is said to have managed to escape and went to report the sexual attack at Machipisa Police Station leading to Kereke’s re-arrest.
Online Reporter