President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, yesterday sensationally claimed that businessman Phillip Chiyangwa is not related to the veteran ruler as widely believed.
By Staff Reporter
According to Zhuwao, Chiyangwa and Mugabe only share the same totem, Gushungo.
Chiyangwa, a businessman who openly flaunts his wealth, has long been rumoured to be a cousin to the Mugabe family.
But Zhuwao, in his weekly column in the State-controlled The Sunday Mail newspaper, blasted Chiyangwa for his recent video where he is seen evading a police roadblock.
Chiyangwa also says he has hosted Mugabe and his children at his Harare mansion. In a scathing response, Zhuwao claimed the Zanu PF politician was not Mugabe’s relative.
“Any politician who interferes with police operations will be guilty of undermining an instruction from the Head of State and Government,” Zhuwao wrote. “It would be remiss of me to fail to comment on an infantile video that has been circulating on social media this week on the very same issue of the relationship between the police and some of our politicians.
“This story was picked up by international media houses and splashed worldwide under the headline Mugabe cousin ignores police roadblocks.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“The video has a person referred to as Mr Chiyangwa. The person looks and sounds like Phillip Chiyangwa, driving a Rolls Royce that looks like Phillip Chiyangwa’s, and guides the foreign white interviewer through a house that looks like Phillip Chiyangwa’s.”
He said the video was not befitting of someone of Chiyangwa’s stature.
“I have two major problems with that video,” he said. “Firstly, the video shows the driver ignoring an instruction by a police officer to stop at a roadblock. “That is anarchical and must never be done by any person, let alone a senior leader at the level of the Central Committee.
“The second issue is that Phillip Chiyangwa has been described as President Mugabe’s cousin.
“By virtue of that close association, the purported actions of Phillip Chiyangwa in that video are tarnishing the image of the President of Zimbabwe and chairman of Sadc and the AU.
“Phillip Chiyangwa is not President Mugabe’s cousin; they share the same totemic identity.
“Those of us who are truly related to President Mugabe know that we have a duty and obligation to the nation to protect the image and integrity of the Head of State and Government.”
Contacted for comment last night, Chiyangwa said he did not want to stoop low by responding to Zhuwao. “First and foremost, to Zhuwao, mediocrity has become his new standards of excellence,” he said. “I am not mediocre. I can’t comment on nothing. I don’t want to comment about my relations with the President.
“I will not reduce myself and go on and on about this.”
He could not be drawn to comment on the authenticity of the video.
