Mphoko 'arrested'

THERE were dramatic scenes at the home of former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko when his family tried to block police officers who had come to arrest him over yet-to-be established charges.

In a video posted by one of Mr Mphoko's daughters, Siduduzo on her Facebook account yesterday evening, she and her mother Laurinda could be seen shouting at an officer, believed to be from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) as he tried to read the former vice president's rights.

"Gentlemen please leave, you are actually trespassing. Until you have a warrant you can't be here, kindly leave," shouts Siduduzo.

Laurinda also joins in charging, "You are here on false pretences, you came on a convenient day because you came with malice."

The officer remains calm as he tries to proceed with the job at hand.  "You have no warrant, you have no right to be here so kindly leave, because we can actually call the police on you also," Siduduzo says. The police officer calmly tells the two that they are actually interfering with the operations of law enforcement agents.

He tries to read Mr Mphoko his rights saying, "Mr Mphoko you have got rights to call a lawyer. . .," but the two interject accusing the officer of refusing to speak to their lawyer.

The officer invites Mr Mphoko to come with him but his wife and daughter refuse and instead ask that he waits in the kitchen and the former VP would join him later. Mr Mphoko, who does not appear in the video, is heard telling the officers to wait for him outside his house.

"Ndoda please phumani lapha, hambani phandle then you can wait," he says to which the police officer says, "Thank you, I'm waiting outside," and Mr Mphoko shouts, "Outside! Outside my house!" As the officer is walking outside, Mr Mphoko's daughter and wife accuse him of being a liar and corrupt and pursuing other people's vendettas.

The officer tells Mr Mphoko to hurry: "Sorry, we are waiting for you sir, if you are not coming then we will have to take you Sir, we will have to call for reinforcements."

Efforts to get a comment from national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi were fruitless last night.

Zacc chairperson Justice Loice Matanda- Moyo was said to be in a meeting last night when she was sought for comment.

In 2016, Mr Mphoko, then vice president, was accused of releasing former Zimbabwe National Road Administration acting chief executive, Moses Juma, from police custody after his arrest for criminal abuse of office.

Juma was re-arrested and sentenced to two years in prison last year.