Pokello Nare’s Lavish Italian Holiday In Portofino Makes Waves In European Press

Pokello’s lavish Portofino trip makes waves in Italian press

The extravagant behaviour of socialite Pokello Nare, wife of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, has been splashed across the pages of an Italian newspaper, Il Secolo XIX. The coverage described her luxury getaway with friends in Portofino, Italy, sparking criticism back home in Zimbabwe.

Italian paper details ‘Dolce Vita’ lifestyle

According to Il Secolo XIX, Pokello Nare travelled with eleven friends to Portofino, where they indulged in what the newspaper called the “Dolce Vita.”

The article stated:

“The extravagant expenses of Pokello Nare, wife of the son of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, with eleven friends. They spent two days in Portofino under the banner of the ‘Dolce Vita,’ but also presenting a fashion brand, enjoying the charm of beach resorts, fashion boutiques, shops in the square, and nautical brokers.”

It further highlighted that the group engaged in luxury shopping, cocktails, and rides on a motorboat, while also frequenting one of Portofino’s most exclusive beach clubs, Carillon Beach in Paraggi.

The paper added:

“Pokello and her group of friends arrived in Portofino determined to have fun and ignore the controversies that, inevitably, accompanied their every step back home in Zimbabwe.”

Backlash and political reaction

The trip has drawn mixed reactions. Opposition figures in Zimbabwe reportedly condemned the display of wealth.

Il Secolo XIX reported:

“The opposition has condemned the ostentation, while the ruling party has greeted it with a sense of scandal and embarrassment. The political opposition accused them of wasteful luxury in the face of a population struggling with poverty.”

Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono also shared his thoughts on X on 5 September 2025, saying he had recently spoken to a South African business mogul about the incident.

He wrote:

“He said that when the First Family lives in golden excess while the nation starves, it is not leadership, it is looting dressed as power.”

Chin’ono added that the mogul had questioned why President Mnangagwa “allows such embarrassment from his family members while ordinary Zimbabweans struggle to find a meal to eat.”

Pokello responds in Portofino

Despite the controversy, Pokello herself expressed happiness about her stay in Italy. Speaking to the newspaper during her trip, she was quoted as saying:

“We are having a very good time, we are very happy about being here, also because the locals have been very welcoming and generous. Portofino is truly beautiful, and the shops are very well stocked. That’s why we made this effort.”

The report concluded that while her trip caused uproar in Zimbabwe, the businesses of Portofino welcomed the spending spree, with one local noting that the group “certainly did not go unnoticed.”