Robert Mugabe Jr., the 33-year-old son of late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has been charged with drug possession after being arrested in Harare on Wednesday morning.
According to court documents, Mugabe Jr. was apprehended while driving the wrong way down a one-way street in the capital city. Police officers who stopped him reportedly searched a black sling bag he was carrying and allegedly found two small sachets of cannabis inside.
Authorities said five other individuals believed to be part of a “syndicate linked to him” were also arrested during the operation. A police statement revealed that 25 sachets of marijuana and six ecstasy pills were recovered from the group.
Mugabe’s lawyer, Ashiel Mugiya, has denied the allegations, insisting that the police version of events was inaccurate. Mugiya told the BBC that the cannabis in question was found in a vehicle with three other occupants, not in Mugabe Jr.’s possession. He added that police exaggerated the quantity of the substance, claiming they found only 0.02 grams, not 2 grams as stated in the charge sheet with a supposed street value of $30.
The younger Mugabe appeared in court on Thursday dressed in joggers and a red cap, chatting on his phone as he was led into the magistrates’ court. He was not handcuffed and was later granted bail of $300 (about N440,225) on Friday.
Police say investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the alleged drug network.
This isn’t Mugabe Jr.’s first run-in with the law. In 2023, he was arrested over allegations that he damaged property and spat on a police officer during a party in Harare. The case was later settled out of court after an agreement with the complainant, who was reportedly a close friend.
Robert Mugabe Sr., who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, died in 2019 at the age of 95 — two years after being forced to step down from power.
