Mphoko leaves family legacy of ruins?

Zimbabwe's liberation struggle hero and former Vice President, Phelekezela Report Mphoko, whose death in India has left the nation in mourning, returns home tomorrow to be laid to rest in a tragic family setting marred by years of bitter infighting, legal disputes, and deep personal divisions.

Mphoko, who passed away in India, leaves behind a family torn apart by complex struggles over parentage, wealth, and power. His surviving relatives - his wife Laurinda, three children, Sikhumbuzo, Siqokoqela, and Siduduzo, and several grandchildren - are at war with one another, their relationships irreparably broken by years of toxic conflicts.

The most dramatic fallout is between Mphoko's son Siqokoqela and the rest of the family. Once close to his father, Siqokoqela was frequently seen by his side during his rise to power as Vice President in 2014, even playing a central role as his father's head of security. However, their relationship soured over the years, with escalating tensions revolving around the family business interests, particularly the Choppies supermarket chain. Their feud eventually spiraled into legal troubles, with Siqokoqela and his wife, Nomagugu, facing arrest in 2018 on charges of fraud and extortion.

Nomagugu was accused of threatening Choppies managers in Bulawayo with deportation or dismissal unless they unlawfully dispensed over $30,000 from point of sale machines. Although the charges were later dropped, the damage to family relationships was done. The bitterness worsened when Mphoko's will was revealed, specifically excluding Siqokoqela from inheriting any part of the family's fortune or business interests. The will named his wife Laurinda and their other son, Sikhumbuzo, to take over the family legacy, with Siduduzo's son Daluthando also in line for succession.

Siqokoqela's involvement in the family business ended not only in estrangement but in tragedy. In 2023, he was arrested and convicted on serious charges, including three counts of raping a minor, though he was later acquitted on appeal. Despite his legal victory, the damage to his relationship with his father was permanent. His exclusion from Mphoko's will and the resulting family rift reflect a deeper rupture that would prevent him from attending his father's funeral.

The complexity of the Mphoko family's disintegration is compounded by contradictory statements and disputes over Mphoko's final resting place. While official plans are for Mphoko to be buried at Heroes Acre in Harare, the late Vice President reportedly expressed a wish to be buried at his home in Bulawayo. The uncertainty surrounding the funeral arrangements is another painful symbol of the fractured state of his family.

Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube confirmed that Mphoko's body would arrive in Harare tomorrow, before being taken back to Bulawayo and ultimately returning to Harare for burial. Despite the public ceremonies, the wounds within the Mphoko family will likely persist, casting a long shadow over his legacy.

While Mphoko's contributions to Zimbabwe's liberation and his role in the nation's political history remain significant, his family's story serves as a somber reminder of the personal costs of power, wealth, and unaddressed conflicts. As his body returns home, it is clear that the legacy he leaves behind is one of division, bitterness, and unresolved pain.