THE quest for answers about his biological mother ignited the storm between Siqokoqela Mphoko and his late father Phelekezela Mphoko, resulting in a nasty fallout, it has been revealed.
Mphoko (82) was buried at his family plot in Bulawayo’s Douglasdale a fortnight ago after he was declared a national hero.
Siqokoqela’s journey to uncover the truth about his mother’s identity strained familial bonds and set off a series of events that saw him being banished from the family home and his father’s funeral.
This is according to a series of email exchanges between Siqokoqela and his aunt, Moudy Anakwe, dated May 24 and May 29, 2022.
“Hi Aunty, we give thanks to God for the gift of life. Please kindly highlight the pictures for me…The lady with my father, is that my mother, and where is she now?” Siqokoqela wrote. Moudy’s responses revealed the complexity of the situation.“The lady with your father, I honestly don’t know whether she is your mum or not . . .” Moudy said.
“This is a sensitive issue that has to be handled with care.
“I think you need to talk to Bro Nelson, the older brother in the family, and stress the importance of closure.”
Another email hinted at long-standing hidden secrets.
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“Now with the lady with your dad, I know they were serious with each other, but I wouldn’t swear whether she is your mom or not . . . Be careful while you are doing this search,” she cautioned.
Siqokoqela’s efforts to extract answers from his father reportedly angered the late former VP.
A message shared with Mphoko’s lawyer, Zibusiso Ncube, highlighted the tension.
Amid this family discord, Siqokoqela faced accusations of raping his 12-year-old niece on three occasions at his Hillside home.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In October this year, the High Court overturned his conviction and sentence, citing insufficient evidence.
Siqokoqela later accused his late father of causing his arrest because of the fallout after he suggested that Mphoko’s wife, Laurinda, was not his mother.
The family feud first played out in March 2023 when Siqokoqela took to Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), appealing to the public to help him locate his biological mother.
His post was accompanied by a picture of his father in his youth with a young woman whom he claimed might be his real mother.
Siqokoqela’s siblings, Sikhumbuzo and Siduduzile, rebuffed his claims.
In a letter through her lawyers, Laurinda said she was Siqokoqela’s biological mother “but due to reasons best known to yourself, you have estranged yourself and your family from her and the rest of the family”.
Mphoko also lashed out at Siqokoqela through his lawyer, Ncube.
“Evening Mr Ncube. Please be advised that Siqokoqela has openly denied us as his parents and went to my brother and requested I show him his real mother before I die because Laurinda is not his mother,” another email reads in part.
The allegations, legal battles and the unresolved question of Siqokoqela’s mother have left the Mphoko family fractured.
“There were certain things about me that only he could answer, and I only wanted those answers from him and never afforded that chance, even when I was with him and I asked him certain things,” Siqokoqela told Southern Eye on Sunday.
