Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) advisor and Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke has died, just weeks after reporting Supreme Court judge Justice George Mutandwa Chiweshe to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Kereke, 54, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday at The Avenues Clinic in Harare, shortly after returning to public attention with a detailed complaint against the judge who sat on the bench that dismissed his appeal against a rape conviction. He is survived by 13 wives and 42 children, according to information released after his death.
His family confirmed his passing in a short statement: “It is with sadness that we announce the passing on of Dr Munyaradzi Kereke this morning at The Avenues Clinic. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.”
While the family did not immediately give details regarding the cause of death, reports suggest Kereke suffered a stroke following his release from prison and had been receiving treatment at the Harare hospital.
The complaint, dated June 18, 2026, was addressed to President Mnangagwa and Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza. Kereke described the report as an account of “gross misconduct and criminal abuse of duty.”
The allegations named Chiweshe and fellow Supreme Court judges Tendai Uchena and Samuel Kudya, who had presided over the appeal arising from Kereke’s criminal conviction. While Uchena and Kudya were ultimately cleared without a detailed public explanation, Chiweshe was referred for a disciplinary investigation. Kereke stated he had waited until after his release from prison to file the complaint “out of strategic necessity,” wanting to ensure he “remained unharmed” while still serving his sentence.
At the center of the report were claims that Chiweshe demanded money and a stake in a gold-mining venture in exchange for helping overturn Kereke’s conviction. Kereke alleged that Chiweshe told him the three judges had concluded his conviction was wrongful but wanted to know what he would offer before helping him. Kereke claimed the judge asked, “What are you going to do for us so we take you off the hook?” Kereke said he initially rejected the demand.
Further allegations involved a 2022 incident where Chiweshe reportedly sent an old Mercedes-Benz to Kereke’s home, instructing him to sell it for US$25,000. Kereke claimed the judge warned him that refusing to assist would count against him “pa case yako” (on your case). The car was eventually sold for US$24,000, and Kereke alleged he also handed Chiweshe US$4,000 in cash during meetings at Highland Park Shopping Centre.
The complaint also detailed a proposed gold-mining arrangement through a special-purpose company named Flickstone Investments (Private) Limited. Kereke alleged that Chiweshe personally handed him the company’s registration documents and requested a final payment of US$20,000 for each of the three appeal judges. While Chiweshe accepted that a vehicle sale and discussions about a gold claim had occurred, he denied all allegations of bribery, extortion, and conspiracy.
Justice Chiweshe approached the High Court seeking to stop the disciplinary proceedings, arguing that the investigation had expanded beyond the four issues originally referred to the committee. The inquiry had been widened to include claims concerning Kereke’s wives, Patience Taruvinga Muswapadare and Isabel Chirapura, as well as the alleged unauthorized removal of Kereke’s passport from his home.
Kereke had alleged that Chiweshe repeatedly summoned his wives to his offices while Kereke was in prison, claiming the resulting relationships placed a severe strain on his marriages. Chiweshe’s lawyers argued these were new matters that could not simply be added to the existing investigation. The JSC was in the process of dealing with these procedural issues and requests for extensions when Kereke passed away.
Kereke’s complaint followed a long legal battle over his 2016 conviction for the rape of his minor niece. Initially sentenced to 14 years (later reduced to 10), the case was notable for being a private prosecution led by lawyer Charles Warara after the state initially declined to prosecute. Although the Supreme Court rejected his appeal in May 2024, Kereke was released in January 2026 following a presidential amnesty for open-prison inmates.
Before his imprisonment, Kereke was a prominent figure in Zimbabwe’s financial and political circles, serving as a senior strategic advisor to former RBZ governor Gideon Gono. His career included a stint as an MP for Bikita West, though his time in politics was often marked by friction within Zanu PF. He remained a controversial figure, moving between the worlds of high finance, national politics, and the criminal justice system until his final days.