EXCLUSIVE: MPHOKO BACK. . . Causes dramatic scene at border The convoy that escorted the former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko into the country at Plumtree border yesterday. (Pictures by Obey Sibanda)
The convoy that escorted the former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko into the country at Plumtree border yesterday. (Pictures by Obey Sibanda)

The convoy that escorted the former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko into the country at Plumtree border yesterday. (Pictures by Obey Sibanda)

Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
FORMER Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko made a dramatic return to Zimbabwe from Botswana yesterday when he caused a 45-minute spectacle at the Plumtree Border Post as he tried to evade the media.

Mr Mphoko had been holed up in Botswana since the Zimbabwe Defence Forces launched Operation Restore Legacy targeting criminal elements around former President Cde Robert Mugabe causing instability in the Government.

A key member of the G40 cabal, Mr Mphoko left Zimbabwe on an official visit to Japan on November 14, a day before the army launched the operation.

He did not return to Zimbabwe but instead, flew to Botswana where he had been a guest of the Government there.

Highly placed sources said the Botswana government had given him up to December 1 to leave their country and return to Zimbabwe but the former VP had been reluctant to do so fearing arrest for corruption-related crimes.

The former VP had been living in a State residence in Gaborone and returned home after reaching out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and getting the necessary assurances that he was free to come back to Zimbabwe.

Clad in a white shirt, Mr Mphoko and his family arrived at the Zimbabwean side of the border at 1.15pm aboard a Zimbabwe Department of Immigration minibus accompanied by Botswana immigration officials.

He was with his wife Laurinda, son Siqokoqela and seven other family members.

When they got to the Zimbabwean side’s arrival section, Mr Mphoko, upon spotting a Chronicle photographer, refused to disembark from the minibus saying to the Zimbabwean immigration officials, “No cameras please, I don’t want cameras here.”

Siqokoqela Mphoko fills in documents at the Plumtree border post while his father Zimbabwe’s former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko hides in the immigration vehicle yesterday

Siqokoqela Mphoko fills in documents at the Plumtree border post while his father Zimbabwe’s former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko hides in the immigration vehicle yesterday

Only Siqokoqela disembarked from the minibus, making some phone calls to a team of drivers that were waiting for them on the departure end.

Mr Mphoko then got into the minibus and they drove to the departure section on the other end where they offloaded their luggage and groceries while Mr Mphoko and the rest of the family remained in the minibus after realising that the news crew had followed them.

Siqokoqela filled in some papers before handing them to the Zimbabwe immigration officials for processing.

The Chronicle also noticed that neither Mr Mphoko nor the rest of his family had their passports at hand or stamped at the country’s entry point raising speculation that they could have been deported.

However, sources at the border said the Botswana immigration officials told their Zimbabwean counterparts that they had been ordered to escort Mr Mphoko and his family.

“What we heard is that the Botswana Immigration officials said they got an order from above that they should escort a diplomat back to Zimbabwe and that the diplomat had chosen to leave Botswana on his own volition,” said the source.

After completing the paperwork, the mini bus with Mr Mphoko and other family members was driven towards the Botswana side followed by a convoy of vehicles that had come to collect him while Siqokoqela jumped into his white BMW X5.

Immigration officers attend to the former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko inside the immigration vehicle at Plumtree border yesterday

Immigration officers attend to the former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko inside the immigration vehicle at Plumtree border yesterday

Midway between the two borders, Mr Mphoko and the rest of the family members disembarked from the minibus and entered into the convoy of cars, in an effort to evade being taken pictures.

His convoy caused a momentary traffic jam as it blocked vehicles coming from the Botswana side.

The drama however, had generated a lot of interest such that by the time Mr Mphoko got into the convoy of cars, a small crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle.

The convoy then whisked Mr Mphoko and his family  away at about 2pm with Siqokoqela driving his vehicle next to the Mercedes Benz carrying his father in a bid to block The Chronicle photographer from taking pictures of the car.

Earlier he had gestured at the photographer ordering him to stop taking pictures.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Mr George Charamba, on Tuesday said Mr Mphoko had spoken to President Mnangagwa by telephone and asked to return home.

Apart from his role in the previous Government, Mr Mphoko is also into business and is a director of Choppies Zimbabwe — a supermarket chain with branches in most cities and towns in the country. The company also has vast interests in Botswana.

Mr Mphoko was among members of the G40 group who were expelled from the ruling Zanu-PF party for engaging in activities meant to destabilise the Government.

The party also recalled him from the position of Vice President and Second Secretary over allegations of being divisive, a member of the G40 cabal, protecting criminals, preaching hate speech and behaving in a manner inconsistent with the Office and decorum of the VP.

He was recalled on the day the party also recalled former President Mugabe from the position of party First Secretary and replaced him with President Mnangagwa whom the ruling party also reinstated as a Central Committee member.

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