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Mphoko's son files $500,000 lawsuit over rape allegations
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Siqokoqela Mphoko, son of the late former vice-president Phelekezela Mphoko, has filed a $500,000 lawsuit against a relative who accused him of raping her then 12-year-old daughter, as deepening family disputes take a legal turn.
The lawsuit follows Siqokoqela's controversial acquittal last year. In May 2023, Bulawayo regional magistrate Elijah Singano sentenced him to 20 years in prison after convicting him on three counts of rape and escaping lawful custody. Singano ruled that Siqokoqela had violated the victim's rights and betrayed his family's trust.
However, on appeal, High Court judges Bongani Ndlovu and Munamato Mutevedzi overturned the conviction, citing inconsistencies in the charges. They highlighted suspicions of malice, delayed reporting of the alleged crime, and potential influence on the complainant by her mother.
Through Majoko and Majoko Legal Practitioners, Siqokoqela is now seeking damages for what he calls "malicious prosecution." In a letter addressed to the alleged victim's mother, the lawyers stated:
"As a result of your complaint, our client was arrested by the police, detained, and arraigned for trial. Your evidence contributed to his conviction and sentencing to 20 years imprisonment. On appeal, he was acquitted on grounds that the charges were fabricated and driven by malice."
Siqokoqela's lawyers argued that the accusations caused irreparable harm to his reputation and standing in society, particularly because the alleged victim was a close relative.
Siqokoqela has also accused his late father of orchestrating the rape allegations, which he claims were linked to a family dispute over his biological mother's identity. Last year, he publicly alleged that Phelekezela Mphoko, with the help of other family members, had plotted his downfall after he questioned whether Mphoko's wife, Laurinda, was his biological mother.
The fallout escalated when Siqokoqela took to social media, appealing for assistance in locating his biological mother. His strained relationship with the family saw him absent from his father's funeral last month in Bulawayo.
Phelekezela Mphoko, who passed away at 82 in India, was buried at the family plot in Douglasdale and was declared a national hero.
The lawsuit adds another layer to the ongoing saga, as the family remains deeply divided.
The lawsuit follows Siqokoqela's controversial acquittal last year. In May 2023, Bulawayo regional magistrate Elijah Singano sentenced him to 20 years in prison after convicting him on three counts of rape and escaping lawful custody. Singano ruled that Siqokoqela had violated the victim's rights and betrayed his family's trust.
However, on appeal, High Court judges Bongani Ndlovu and Munamato Mutevedzi overturned the conviction, citing inconsistencies in the charges. They highlighted suspicions of malice, delayed reporting of the alleged crime, and potential influence on the complainant by her mother.
Through Majoko and Majoko Legal Practitioners, Siqokoqela is now seeking damages for what he calls "malicious prosecution." In a letter addressed to the alleged victim's mother, the lawyers stated:
"As a result of your complaint, our client was arrested by the police, detained, and arraigned for trial. Your evidence contributed to his conviction and sentencing to 20 years imprisonment. On appeal, he was acquitted on grounds that the charges were fabricated and driven by malice."
Siqokoqela has also accused his late father of orchestrating the rape allegations, which he claims were linked to a family dispute over his biological mother's identity. Last year, he publicly alleged that Phelekezela Mphoko, with the help of other family members, had plotted his downfall after he questioned whether Mphoko's wife, Laurinda, was his biological mother.
The fallout escalated when Siqokoqela took to social media, appealing for assistance in locating his biological mother. His strained relationship with the family saw him absent from his father's funeral last month in Bulawayo.
Phelekezela Mphoko, who passed away at 82 in India, was buried at the family plot in Douglasdale and was declared a national hero.
The lawsuit adds another layer to the ongoing saga, as the family remains deeply divided.
Source - the herald
