Vice president Phelekezela Mphoko
Mphoko’s illegal directive clearly shows that he is unaware of the functions of his office.
Last week, officers from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) arrested Zinara acting chief executive Moses Juma and non-executive director Davison Norupiri on charges of defrauding the parastatal of $1, 3 million.
The corruption allegations come at a time when there is rampant corruption in most parastatals as ministers and top government officials are using them as a medium of looting state resources.
However, we find it strange that Mphoko chose to illegally use his powers as the Vice President and ordered the unlawful release of Juma and Norupiri at Avondale Police Station and in the process compromising the operations of the public offices of the National Prosecuting Authority and the judiciary.
Mphoko disregarded the fact that these two men were facing serious charges and should have been brought before the court of law to answer to these allegations.
Since assuming the Vice President’s office, Mphoko has on a number of instances willfully violated the Constitution, has been in serious misconduct and shown an inability to competently perform his duties.
The latest controversy comes at a time when he was early this year involved in botched deal in which he sought to facilitate a costly $350 million loan deal at very high interest rates between the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) and Botswana’s Capital Management Africa where his son Siqokoqela Mphoko is a shareholder.
Since his appointment as VP, Mphoko continues to show arrogance by his stay at the Rainbow Towers five star hotel at the expense of the taxpayer when a government house has been made available for him.
He has also been quoted claiming that the government sponsored Gukurahundi massacres, which left over 20 000 people from Matebeleland and Midlands dead in the 1980s, were a Western conspiracy further angering families who lost their loved during the disturbances.
As PDP, we view corruption as a huge cancer in Zimbabwe and we call for local institutions that were created to combat corruption to be truly independent and well supported to carry out their duties in a professional manner.
Post published in: Featured