The rise, fall and resilience of Siqokoqela Mphoko: A liberation son’s long fight for dignity

To understand Siqokoqela Mphoko, one must begin where he begins — in the shadows of the liberation struggle, where childhood memories were shaped by whispered news of comrades who never returned. Born during the war, he says he grew up surrounded by loss, fear and the constant reminder that many of his father’s colleagues had died “during operations”. It is a past he carries like a scar, one that shaped his sense of duty and identity.


In a personal account shared with Bulawayo24, Mphoko — who also uses the name Mboneli Ndlovu — says those early experiences planted in him a lifelong desire to contribute to Zanu PF and to Zimbabwe through business. He describes himself as a man driven by the belief that economic empowerment was a continuation of the liberation struggle, a way of honouring the widows and children of fallen fighters.

“I grew up with a dream that one day I would work hard and contribute to Zanu PF and Zimbabwe through business,” he says. “I had to make sure it became a reality.”

He recalls years of setbacks, long nights, and a relentless determination to build something meaningful. He says he often motivated himself by thinking of widows back home “with small projects like chickens, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, eggs” who needed a market, and of their children who needed jobs. With his young wife beside him, he says he pushed through every obstacle.

His breakthrough, he says, came with Choppies Zimbabwe — a retail venture he describes as the culmination of years of sacrifice. According to his account, he took a modest salary to allow the business to grow, and within four years the chain had expanded to 34 shops nationwide, supported by two distribution centres and a headquarters in Bulawayo.

But the success, he says, was short‑lived.

“Little did I know that my sacrifice and years of hard work were about to come to a violent end,” he says.

Mphoko alleges that the business was forcibly taken from him under circumstances he describes as driven by “lies and jealousy”. He claims the takeover destroyed livelihoods, particularly for widows and young people he says the business had empowered. These claims could not be independently verified at the time of publication.

“Today, I lost my business on lies and jealousy,” he says. “Those who forcibly took over my hard work have failed to maintain it.”

What followed, according to his account, was an eight‑year period marked by repeated arrests, court battles and public humiliation. He says he was accused of money‑laundering, theft and rape — charges he insists were false and which he says he was acquitted of in court.

“In the last eight years I have known no peace,” he says. “I have been in and out of jail three times.”

He describes the period as one of the darkest chapters of his life, but also one that taught him resilience.

“Life has taught me so many lessons. It’s not how many times I fall down, but how many times I get up and keep moving forward,” he says.

Despite the turmoil, Mphoko insists he remains loyal to Zanu PF and to the ideals of the liberation struggle. He repeatedly refers to himself as “a son of Zanu PF” and says his patriotism has not been shaken by the hardships he has faced.

“Very few can go through what my wife and I have been through but maintain love and patriotism to Zanu PF and its leadership,” he says.

His story, as he tells it, is one of ambition, loss, loyalty and survival — a man trying to reclaim his dignity after years of turbulence. Whether the public sees him as a victim of political and business rivalries, or as a controversial figure navigating a complex legacy, Mphoko says he simply wants his story heard.

“I remain a son of the liberation struggle,” he says.

His full account is available on request and continues to circulate on platforms such as Zimbabwe political X‑spaces, where he has