THE Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment (Dare) plans to demonstrate against Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko this week over his continued stay at a five-star hotel at taxpayers’ expense.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
Mphoko is close to clocking a year at a top hotel, as the government tries to secure “appropriate” accommodation for him since his appointment last December.
Dare youth wing said it will also hand in a petition after the demonstration, to show disgust at what it termed senseless spending?
“As the Dare youth movement, we have to exercise our constitutional right of petitioning and demonstrating against the VP,” Elvis Mugari, the president of the youth movement said.
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“We are saying the VP must vacate that five-star hotel with his grandchild because he is living lavishly, while the general public is suffering and finding it difficult to have food on their table.
“Quite a huge amount of taxpayers’ money has been spent on him, yet the country is in comatose, ravaged by incessant power cuts affecting every sector, unemployment, poor health facilities, poor investments among challenges,” he said, adding that there was strong mobilisation for participation in the demonstration.
Mphoko has been under pressure from various quarters over his continued stay at a hotel, at a time the government is struggling to meet its obligations.
The government was expected to start paying bonuses to civil servants last week, but failed to do so to members of the uniformed forces, as previously announced due to financial constraints.
There was an outcry in Parliament recently when MPs demanded VP Emmerson Mnangagwa to explain why his counterpart continued to stay at a luxurious hotel. Mnangagwa assured legislators that the government was working hard to ensure Mphoko gets a house.
Efforts to get an update on the government’s position regarding the issue from Information minister Christopher Mushowe were fruitless as his mobile went unanswered.