Zimbabwean vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa has once more come to the defense of his colleague, vice president Phelekezela Mphoko’s, for his continued stay in a costly hotel funded by the country’s taxpayers.
Mnangagwa reportedly said that the issue should not be discussed in parliament.
Mphoko, one of Zimbabwe’s two vice presidents appointed by Robert Mugabe last year checked into the executive suite of the five-star Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare in December, and has continued to stay there with his family.
The government on the other end has claimed it wants to cut costs and was already carrying out staff and pensioner audits, it is reported.
This is not the first time the government has come to the defense of Mphoko’s stay in the luxurious hotel suite. In March, local media reported that Mnangagwa had announced that his counterpart would still stay in the hotel as his house was still under construction.
“VP Mphoko’s house is being constructed and once painting is finished, he will stay there,” Southern Eye quoted Mnangagwa as saying at the time.
Interestingly, it was also reported that Mnangagwa hinted that the government house being used by former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai could not be occupied by Mphoko as it did not befit his status.
In January, local media again reported that Mphoko’s wife, Laurinda had rejected three houses, among them a mansion in Harare worth $3m, claiming that it was too small for a person of the VP’s stature.
