Zimbabwe’s Vice President Kembo Mohadi on Monday March 1, resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct.
This came after audio recordings of phone conversations in which Mohadi was allegedly soliciting sex from married women, including a subordinate in his office was leaked online in February. The lurid clips included one where a man can be heard scheduling to meet for sex at his office.
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”.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Information, the Vice President said;
“I have been going through a soul-searching pilgrimage and realised that I need the space to deal with my problem outside the governance chair.”
The 70-year-old politician 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.
Mohadi, a retired soldier and veteran of the country’s liberation war, was one of Zimbabwe’s two vice presidents alongside Constantino Chiwenga. He served in several ministerial positions under former president Robert Mugabe and was appointed vice president in 2017 following the longtime ruler’s ouster.