Zimbabwe Vice President Kembo Mohadi resigns amid sex scandal

HARARE, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Vice-President Kembo Mohadi resigned on Monday after local media reported that he had engaged in improper conduct.

Mohadi, along with Constantino Chiwenga, was a deputy to President Emmerson Mnangagwa since 2018, but without a political power base, he was not seen as a potential successor to the president.

In a rare move by a public official in Zimbabwe, Mohadi said he had taken the decision to step down “not as a matter of cowardice but as a sign of demonstrating great respect to the office of the president”.

Announcing his resignation in a four-page statement, the now-former vice president, who assumed the position following a 2017 coup that ousted long-time leader Robert Mugabe, maintained that he was a victim of a “grand strategy” by his “political foes.”

“My decision to relinquish the vice president post is also a way of respecting the citizens of this great nation, and my party comrades, some of whom would have been affected by the falsehoods and character assassination in the digital ecosystems,” Mohadi said.

“My resignation is also necessitated by my desire to seek clarity and justice on the matter in which my legal team will pursue and deconstruct this pseudo-paparazzi and flawed espionage to achieve cheap political points. I promise to poke holes on this grand strategy from political foes.”

Local online media service ZimLive calling him ‘Love-rat’ has in the past two weeks carried reports that Mohadi had improper sexual liaisons with married women, including one of his subordinates.

The main opposition MDC Alliance and several civic groups, including women’s rights organisations, had demanded Mohadi’s resignation and an investigation into his conduct.

The Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE) celebrated Mohadi’s departure but insisted on an investigation to bring him to account.

“WALPE welcomes the resignation of Mr. Mohadi as it signifies the need to hold the office of the VP to the highest moral standards. We call on the government to investigate the cases and bring the former VP to account for his misdeeds.”

Mohadi denied the accusations last week saying this was part of a political plot against him. On Monday he continued to deny the accusations saying he would seek legal recourse. - Africa