Mphoko asked to vacate presidential suite

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, who has been staying at Harare's Rainbow Towers Hotel, was last week Tuesday asked to vacate the presidential suite to make way for visiting Chinese President XI Jinping.

The Chinese leader jetted into Zimbabwe Tuesday morning for a two-day visit and was due to leave Wednesday for South Africa.

Mphoko has been staying at the hotel with his family for almost a year at the expense of the state, defying calls from residents, human rights activist and opposition leaders to vacate the facility.

The VP took up residence at the hotel after he was appointed one of President Mugabe's two deputies last year.

A source at the hotel said that Mphoko was "downgraded" to the Diplomatic Suite on Tuesday.

Mphoko has been staying in opulence for the past 358 days and chewing an estimated $250 000 of the taxpayer's money in the process.