Former Zimbabwe Vice President Phelekezela Report Mphoko’s final will explicitly cuts out his eldest son Siqokoqela from any inheritance, cementing years of bitter family conflict as the liberation hero’s body returns home from India tomorrow.

Zimbabwe’s late Vice President served from 2014 until 2017. His controversial will names only his wife Laurinda, son Sikhumbuzo, and grandson Daluthando as beneficiaries of his business empire and personal wealth.

Mphoko’s death followed explosive allegations from his son Siqokoqela, who claimed his father orchestrated the rape charges against him. Just days before his father’s passing, Siqokoqela accused Phelekezela of working with Mantombi Ndlovu to fabricate sexual assault accusations.

These claims emerged after the Bulawayo High Court overturned Siqokoqela’s rape conviction in October, citing doubts about the complainant’s testimony and evidence of possible coercion in the case involving his 12-year-old niece.

Siqokoqela, once his father’s head of security and trusted ally, saw his relationship with Mphoko deteriorate after facing fraud charges in 2018 related to the family’s Choppies supermarket chain.

The charges stemmed from allegations that Siqokoqela’s wife Nomagugu threatened Choppies managers with deportation unless they provided $30,000 from point-of-sale machines. Though these charges were later dropped, the damage to family relationships proved permanent.

“The body will arrive in Harare tomorrow before being taken to Bulawayo,” Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube said in a statement. The final burial location remains disputed, with official plans indicating Heroes Acre in Harare despite reports Mphoko wished to be buried at his Bulawayo home.

Siqokoqela’s exclusion from inheritance marks the final chapter in a family saga that saw him face serious criminal charges in 2023. Though later acquitted on appeal, the case irreparably damaged his relationship with his father.

The liberation hero’s death has exposed the depth of family divisions, with competing claims over burial arrangements highlighting tensions that marked his final years.