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Robert Mugabe Jr, the 33-year-old son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, has been charged with drug possession following his arrest in the capital earlier this week.
According to court filings, Mugabe Jr was apprehended on Wednesday morning after allegedly driving against traffic on a one-way street in Harare. Law enforcement officers reportedly conducted a search and discovered two small sachets suspected to contain cannabis inside a sling bag he was carrying at the time.
Police authorities further revealed that five additional individuals believed to be part of a drug-related syndicate linked to Mugabe Jr were detained during follow-up investigations. The suspects were allegedly found in possession of 25 sachets of marijuana and six ecstasy tablets.
Mugabe Jr’s legal representative, Ashiel Mugiya, has firmly denied the allegations, asserting that the police report contains inconsistencies. According to the defense, the seized substances were retrieved from a vehicle carrying three other individuals, and the actual amount found was 0.02 grams of cannabis, significantly less than the 2 grams cited in the police charge sheet, which assigns a street value of approximately $30 (US).
On Thursday, Mugabe Jr made his court appearance dressed casually in joggers and a red cap. He was seen speaking on his phone while being escorted into the Harare Magistrates’ Court. He was not handcuffed and was surrounded by supporters. The court has remanded him in custody as the magistrate deliberates on his bail application, with a ruling expected on Friday.
Police say investigations remain ongoing as they seek to dismantle the alleged syndicate linked to the case.
This is not the first time Mugabe Jr has faced legal scrutiny. In 2023, he was briefly arrested for allegedly damaging property and assaulting a police officer during a private party in Harare. The matter was later resolved through an out-of-court settlement with the complainant, a personal acquaintance.
Robert Mugabe Jr is the second child of the late former president Robert Mugabe and Grace Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s former First Lady. The elder Mugabe, who led the country for nearly four decades, passed away in 2019 at the age of 95. His leadership, which began after Zimbabwe’s independence from white-minority rule in 1980, was marked by both liberation accolades and later economic decline and political repression.
After his ousting in 2017, Mugabe was succeeded by his former deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, a transition that strained relations between the Mugabe family and the new administration. Grace Mugabe, who once harbored ambitions of succeeding her husband, was sidelined during Mnangagwa’s rise to power.
In recent years, however, Mugabe Jr has publicly reconciled with President Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party. In 2022, he made a notable appearance at a party rally, where he was welcomed back into the political fold.
The ongoing case has drawn significant public interest, with many Zimbabweans closely watching how the justice system will handle the high-profile matter.
Authorities have yet to announce a final decision regarding bail, and further court proceedings are expected in the coming days.