Some Zimbabweans have taken a swipe at former vice president Phelekezela Mphoko’s son, Siqokoqela, for absolving ZANU-PF and the government of the economic challenges bedevilling the country.
Mphoko who was speaking Monday during an online programme, This Morning on Asakhe, hosted by CITE on Twitter Space also claimed his father saved the government a lot of money by staying in a hotel for more than a year after he was appointed Vice President by the late former president Robert Mugabe in 2014.
“Well, look when I used to go up to Harare I would meet him at the Rainbow Towers so but that was a government-owned hotel,” said Mphoko
“Having stayed in a hotel now, how much does it cost for him to stay in one room? Do you think this man never wanted to walk out in a garden? You think he didn’t want to breathe the fresh air, he didn’t want to be at the top floor or something, so that’s no. He was at a hotel. He stayed in a hotel for about a year and a half or something while they were looking for suitable accommodation for him.”
He said his father had offered to go and stay in his house in Mount Pleasant.
“But look how much it cost? He actually saved a lot of money for the taxpayers. The government actually saved a lot of money for taxpayers while he was taking a hotel because he didn’t have a maid, he didn’t have that security around him. If he stayed in a mansion, you would pay 10 times more than the electricity bills.”
LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION HERE: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1OdJrBVzgXzJX
Mphoko went on to say the government was doing all it could to fix the economy but it was being sabotaged, something that did not go down well with listeners.
“I’m not getting his sense as a business person because I feel he is relieving Zanu PF from the responsibility that it carries as a government because where is the social contract?” said a listener identified as Njabulo.
“Everything rises and falls on leadership. We are supposed to blame the government. If it’s underperforming, I feel that that’s the reason why we vote for them at the end of the day. People will always sabotage, but the role of the government is to serve.”
Another listener identified as Rich Uncle said ZANU-PF was behind the sufferings being experienced by Zimbabweans.
“Your party is the root cause of all the problems; we have got no other problem that we have besides your party that led us to be where we are right now,” he said.
“I understand you as the direct beneficiary of the deal. I mean, the fracas that we find in the country now. So you definitely are going to defend everything. The truth of the matter is our economy is only benefiting a few people who are connected better to the ruling party. So if you are not connected to the ruling party and let alone if you are from the other region that is Matabeleland you would hardly get the benefits of independence that maybe you are trying to apply here.”
Douglas Mandaza, another participant said Mphoko’s remarks did not hold water.
“His father probably benefited; he is not going to say much,” said Mandaza.
“He probably benefited from the new government. That’s why he still has the security. That’s why he still has the vehicles from the government. So if he’s eating, you will probably be quiet. Hence he’s coming in here and justifying what the government is doing.”
