By a Correspondent
Prominent Zimbabwean banker and former Bikita West legislator Dr Munyaradzi Kereke has died in Harare after suffering a stroke.
Kereke had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Avenues Clinic.
A respected banker whose career later became entangled in politics and controversy, Kereke rose through the ranks of the banking sector before leaving Stanbic Bank after being recruited to join the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) under then governor Dr Gideon Gono.
His tenure at the central bank was followed by a bitter fallout with Gono, his former boss, which thrust Kereke into the public spotlight.
Kereke later entered politics and successfully contested the Bikita West parliamentary seat, becoming a legislator.
However, his political career was subsequently overshadowed by his conviction for the rape of a 12-year-old relative.
In 2024, the Supreme Court upheld his conviction and confirmed an effective 10-year prison sentence. Kereke had been out on bail while pursuing his appeal but was returned to prison following the Supreme Court ruling.
After his release from prison, Kereke suffered a stroke and was later admitted to hospital for treatment.
