The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional services has confirmed that an inmate had indeed been allowed to temporarily leave prison to attend a funeral as reported by the State controlled Herald on the 26th of February this year.
This was said by the Deputy Public Relations Officer Principal Correctional Officer Peter Chaparanganda, dismissing rumours doing the rounds alleging that the said inmate was former Bikita West MP, Munyaradzi Kereke who had been allowed to leave prison to attend a funeral in Bikita.
He stated that this may have been a name mix-up, as there were two separate people with a similar name. One is Munyaradzi Kereke, currently serving a 14yr jail term for raping his niece and the other being a Mr Felix Munyaradzi, who is in remand prison.
In a press statement issued today, the Prisons service confirmed that Mr Felix Munyaradzi had indeed been cleared by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hon Ziyambi Ziyambi, to attend his father-in-law’s funeral in Zvimba on the 14th of August in 2020
It stated that an inmate can be allowed temporary leave from prison subject to approval by the Minister.
“The Minister is empowered to exercise these powers by the Prison Act [Chapter 7:11] Section 129
which states that “The Minister may, subject to such conditions as he may specify, grant a
prisoner permission in writing to be absent from prison for a specified period for personal,
family or other reasons if, in the opinion of the minister, the circumstances of the case warrant
the granting of such permission.” In this regard, the inmate was temporarily released under ZPCS
security surveillance for a specified period in accordance with the above quoted Section of the
Prison Act.” The statement says.
The organization further clarified the times that Munyaradzi was out of prison, stating that according to it’s occurrence books he left prison in the morning and returned the same day at 1600hrs and was monitored by prison officials while he was out.
This is contrary to the police report made by one Collen Mavhundutse, who in a sworn affidavit said that he had been surprised to see Munyaradzi attending his father-in-law’s funeral in Zvimba when he knew that he was supposed to be in remand prison, arguing that this didn’t seem correct.
Mavhundutse, in his report further alleged that Munyaradzi had gone on to spend the night at his Borrowdale house before returning to prison the next morning. He also allegedly slaughtered 2 cows and 200 chickens for the 2 plain clothes prison officers who accompanied him to the funeral.
The ZPCS however disputed the claims that Munyaradzi had spent the night at his Borrowdale house, further urging members of the public to seek legal opinion before making allegations.
“The case of Felix Munyaradzi is not an isolated case where incarcerated inmates are legally granted
temporary release from prison. Several inmates have benefited in line with this provisions of the
Prison Act, whenever circumstances warranted the granting of such release. In 2020 eight inmates
benefited from this arrangement including Felix Munyaradzi.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to advise the public to seek legal opinion/ advice before
making any allegations out of ignorance on legal provisions.”- Stated the ZPCS.
Mr Felix Munyaradzi, a suspected land baron, is currently in remand prison awaiting trial for fraud charges involving residential stands.
Circumstances leading to his arrest are that during 2015, his firm Delatfin Investments, entered into a swap deal with Mr Delish Nguwaya for the sale of stands in exchange for a Toyota Prado.
Delatfin Investments sold three residential stands – 1572, 1516 and 1471 – in Sandton Park in Mt Hampden, worth US$50 000 and Mr Nguwaya surrendered the Prado and an agreement of sale was signed on February 2, 2018.
It is alleged that Munyaradzi went on to sell the stands to other people, and when Mr Nguwaya complained, he agreed to compensate him with eight smaller stands in Sandton Park.
But then Munyaradzi allegedly went on to sell one of the stands to Tawanda Mashumba for US$30 000.
It is the State’s case that Mr Nguwaya was aware that the stand in question had already been sold, and he lost US$15 000 in the process.
On April 20, 2015, Delatfin Investments was offered 120 hectares of State land by the Ministry of Local Government to develop residential stands. The land was previously used by the police for breeding horses.
In 2016, Munyaradzi through his firm, allegedly sold a stand fraudulently to Mrs Gabaza for US$18 000, a stand in Sandton Phase 3 to Mr Dondo for US$22 000, and another stand in the same neighbourhood to Mr Makodza for US$40 000.
Mr Makodza is said to have later discovered his stand had allegedly been sold for a second time to Mrs Nyongo by Munyaradzi, forcing him to lodge a complaint with the police.