Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko who has recently touched a storm of protest over his hotel stay has been reportedly ordered to temporarily vacate his presidential suite at Rainbow Towers Hotel to pave way for visiting Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Koroma arrived in Zimbabwe yesterday to explore areas of bilateral co-operation between the two countries and to consult with President Robert Mugabe on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms.
During his stay, Koroma will be booked at Rinbow Towers’ presidential suite, where Mphoko has been staying since his appointment as Vice-President in December 2014.
Mphoko’s continued stay at the top hotel has generated heated debate, with critics calling on him to check out and stay in a government house in Harare’s Grange suburb, but the Vice-President has defended his long stay, claiming the hotel was owned by the State.
Information minister Christopher Mushohwe yesterday said he was not privy to the accommodation arrangements for the visiting President, as he was out of the country.
The Sierra Leonean leader is the chairperson of the African Union Committee of Ten, which is charged with promoting and advocating for Africa’s position on UNSC reforms.
Africa, which currently has three non-permanent seats in the UNSC, is demanding two permanent ones.
Yesterday afternoon, staff at Rainbow Towers were busy preparing for the arrival of the visiting President, who arrived in the afternoon.
Sources told a local publication yesterday that Mphoko, who stays with his family, had been moved to a lower floor room at the five-star hotel.
Several activists have, at different intervals, demonstrated against Mphoko’s continued stay at the hotel.
- News Day
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