SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
Over 100 properties and farms countrywide, 40 businesses, a Rolls Royce, a Bentley, a fleet of Mercedes and several other top of the range luxury cars and a huge mansion are all part of a portfolio owned by businessman and ZANU PF stalwart, Phillip Chiyangwa, as listed in divorce papers filed by his wife Monday. Ending a 25-year marriage, Elizabeth Chiyangwa is reportedly claiming $83,000 per month for 120 months in maintenance and 85 per cent of their combined wealth in a nasty divorce that centers on allegations that the flamboyant businessman and politician has “associated” sexually with other women. Surprisingly, the detailed list and account of a messy breakup appeared in The Herald newspaper, a ZANU PF mouthpiece that Zimbabweans would expect to protect Chiyangwa, who has the privilege of being Robert Mugabe’s nephew. He was also once an MP for the Chinhoyi constituency. Reacting to the news Zimbabweans have been astonished at the staggering accumulation of property and wealth, particularly in country where many people are starving. Political commentator Lameck Mahachi told SW Radio Africa that he was “disgusted”, “shocked” and “flabbergasted” at learning how much wealth Chiyangwa had actually accumulated, saying Zimbabwe had become a gravy train.“I knew and everybody knows that Chiyangwa is one of the guys who stole a lot. He looted quite a lot. But when I heard of all the Bentleys, the farms and businesses I was disgusted. How could a single person own so much in a country that is on its knees,” Mahachi explained.“Everybody at ZANU PF is there to loot. They don’t care about the ordinary people, the people they purport to have liberated. There are kids not in school, hospitals are dilapidated and a threat of cholera from contaminated water. Yet they are busy looting,” Mahachi added. In 2010, Chiyangwa was handpicked by government to appear in a BBC-TV report as a businessman who is “a model of indigenization”. In that report by journalist Sue Lloyd-Roberts, Chiyangwa bragged that he had 2,000 properties in his portfolio, saying they included hotels, hospitals and clinics.“I must ask you. Do you feel comfortable with all this wealth when so many people in the country are starving?” Lloyd-Roberts asked of Chiyangwa’s wife at the time. Her response was: “These things are God-given blessings. So if God blesses you with something you have to be grateful. I know there are people starving but these are the blessings from God.” Mahachi blasted Mrs Chiyangwa for that comment, saying she was “making a mockery” out of God because only ZANU PF seems to be “blessed enough to have some cake”.↧