'Mugabe should fire Mphoko'

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe should relieve Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko of his duties or Parliament should begin proceedings to have him removed from his position, analysts and opposition parties have said.

Mphoko early this week reportedly forced police to release two Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) officials who had been arrested for fraud and criminal abuse of office that had a potential prejudice of over $1,2 million.

Constitutional law expert, Lovemore Madhuku said Mphoko's stunt builds enough ground to have him removed from office.

"It is totally unacceptable, unlawful. There is nothing that can stop Parliament from moving a motion to have him removed from office for violation of the country's supreme law," Madhuku said, adding: "Mphoko has no immunity.
"His actions must be condemned and it now seems he has a propensity of moving from one scandal to another. Mphoko has become a joke in bad taste."

Political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya said: "If Mugabe does not address this or act on it then it shows Mphoko acted with the President's acquiescence. It seems there is rampant abuse of power by people very close to the President including the First Lady."

People's Democratic Party secretary-general Gorden Moyo said Mphoko was an "anarchist".

"We have not heard him force the release of innocent citizens arrested for exercising their rights in Makokoba, Beitbridge and Harare. He should be arrested for obstructing justice at the very least," he said.

Opposition Zimbabwe People First spokesperson Jealous Mawarire said Mphoko was a danger to democracy.

"It shows that there is no separation of powers. The executive is all over, it is the judiciary, the courts, the law enforcement agents, Mphoko showed he is an absolute monarch who is dangerous to 21st Century democracy. His actions of late, have shown he is profligate, corrupt, daft and a dangerous element near the levers of state power," Mawarire said, adding the VP is a "political power loose cannon."

National Vendors' Union of Zimbabwe leader Stern Zvorwadza, who has fought hard to have Mphoko ejected from a Harare hotel he has stayed in since being appointed in late 2014 said the VP has become a bad example of how war veterans should be viewed.

"The Zanu-PF-led government continues to ignore the VP's hotel expenditure because hundreds of them are bleeding the country in various sectors of our economy. Mphoko continues to display his abilities in our country of failing to listen to the call reason and fight against corruption," Zvorwadza said.