Mangwana defends Mohadi's workplace sexual misconduct

Government spokesman Nick Ndabaningi Mangwana went on a social media spree and put his foot in his mouth on Saturday, defending Vice President Kembo Mohadi's sexual misconduct in the workplace saying calls for the 71-year-old to resign were just "noise from insecure men."

Mohadi's indiscretions blew up in his face after ZimLive published secretly-recorded phone conversations showing he's been sleeping with a married subordinate Abiggal Muleya, a junior Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agent, and arranged for sex romps in his office with another wedded mistress only identified as Chevaughn.

In one recording, the vice president tells Muleya, at her prompting, that he had taken two cups of a sex-boosting substance ahead of a rendezvous, probably at a hotel or in his office.

And in another, Mohadi cuts to the chase soon after the call and asks Chevaughn who had had a period-induced sickness, "Can you give me a f*** now?" later adding, "There's no any other place [to have sex], we'll have to do it in the office."

Bantering against the grain on Twitter, Mangwana argued that the beleaguered vice president and his married mistresses were consenting adults who had not committed any crimes while ignoring the glaring misconduct of a boss turning their office into a love nest, let alone a government office, and dating a married subordinate, something that would lead to a resignation in a fully functional government.

"A lot of noise from insecure men. When married men have it off with young women, no problem. When married women have it off with powerful men all hell breaks loose, a woman is no one's property. She can make a choice and if you are married to her and you don't like it, tough," said Mangwana, astonishingly.

In his many defenses, Mangwana seemed to totally miss the point or ignore it altogether, choosing to focus on the question of consent and non-involvement in other people's love affairs rather than the alleged abuse of power and office raised by critics who are calling on Mohadi to resign.

He even argued in one post that if his wife of almost three decades were to cheat on him, no one should get involved. Mohadi left his wife of more than 30 years, Tambudzani Muleya, in 2017.

"Indeed, that applies to me too as a man who has been married for a good 28 years. With so many married years under the belt, I surely know what I am talking about. If my missus was to cheat on me, that's between me and her. Not the third party unless he raped her," argued Mangwana.

The information secretary was hauled over the coals for condoning Mohadi's conduct and defending "powerful men" who wreck other people's marriages.

But he stood his ground, with one or two sympathisers, declaring he couldnot play "a self-appointed moral policeman."

"This is unbelievable! You can't be serious," charged Twitter user Makhaya Tindo, to which Mangwana replied self-assuredly, "Oh I am."

Another user, @BossTino7 warned Mangwana he might fall prey to the sex maniacs in government that he is defending, commenting that, "soon reality will strike closer to home, what with your known work schedule and your proximity to the jackals. I pity you. I hope you'll be strong enough to stand with these words."

Added another: "This is so low of you. So are you saying powerful men are exempted from their shenanigans' abuse of power? Of course, she is none's property, no woman is property, but she is definitely some men's wife."