Zimbabwean second Vice President Kembo Mohadi resigned on Monday following local media reports he had engaged in improper conduct, including accusations of sexual impropriety.

Mohadi, 70, said in a letter shared by the information ministry he had decided to step down “not as a matter of cowardice but as a sign of demonstrating great respect to the office of the President.”

Local media reported he had improper sexual liaisons with married women, including one of his subordinates.

He denied the accusations a week ago, saying it was of a political plot against him.

“I’m a victim of information distortion, voice cloning and sponsored spooking and political sabotage,” Mohadi said in the letter.

He said on Monday he would seek legal recourse.

Mohadi was one of two deputies appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2017.