The late Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s son, Siqokoqela, did not attend his father’s burial at their Douglasdale plot in Bulawayo on Sunday.
According to The NewsHawks, Siqokoqela’s absence has been linked to a series of controversies, including a family feud over his parentage, business disputes, and a major fallout which led to his arrest last year on allegations of raping his niece, charges on which he was later acquitted.
Siqokoqela has publicly stated that his father and his family—wife Laurinda and two sisters, Sikhumbuzo and Siduduzo—were behind the false charges and his arrest.
In 2018, Siqokoqela and his wife Nomagugu were also arrested for allegedly ordering 15 Choppies Supermarket managers in Bulawayo to unlawfully dispense over US$30,000 cash from their point of sale machines after threatening them with either deportation or dismissal. These charges were also dropped.
Due to these and other contentious issues, Mphoko and his son had irreconcilable differences, leading to a breakdown in their relationship.
More: Pindula News