
BULAWAYO – The burial of the late Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko at his Douglasdale plot in Bulawayo yesterday was marked by the conspicuous absence of his son, Siqokoqela Mphoko, amid a backdrop of controversies and unresolved family disputes.
Siqokoqela’s absence underscores the deep divisions within the Mphoko family, fuelled by allegations of false charges, business disputes, and a contentious feud over his parentage. At the centre of the rift is Siqokoqela’s claim that his father, alongside his wife and two sisters, orchestrated his arrest on accusations of raping his niece—a case for which he was later acquitted.
The family feud, however, stretches beyond this. In 2018, Siqokoqela and his wife Nomagugu were arrested on allegations of coercing 15 Choppies Supermarket managers in Bulawayo to unlawfully withdraw over US$30,000 from point-of-sale machines.
The couple allegedly threatened the managers, many of whom were Botswana nationals, with deportation or dismissal. Like the rape allegations, these charges also failed to hold up in court.
The culmination of these disputes led to irreconcilable differences between Siqokoqela and his father, leaving their relationship in ruins. Sources close to the family say the late Vice President’s legacy has been tarnished by these bitter conflicts, with his son’s absence at the burial serving as a stark reminder of the unresolved tensions.
Mphoko, once a key figure in Zimbabwean politics, leaves behind a fractured family and a controversial legacy, mired in allegations, disputes, and public scandals.