Robert Mugabe Jr faces court on drug charges

Robert Mugabe Jr, son of Zimbabwe’s late former president, has appeared before a Harare magistrates’ court facing charges of drug possession.

According to court documents, the 33-year-old was arrested on Wednesday after allegedly driving against traffic on a one-way street. Police said they searched a sling bag he was carrying and found two sachets of cannabis. Authorities also announced that five other people believed to be part of a syndicate linked to him were arrested, with additional seizures of marijuana and ecstasy pills.

His lawyer, Ashiel Mugiya, disputed the claims, telling the BBC that the cannabis did not belong to Mr Mugabe. He argued that the drugs were discovered in a vehicle carrying three other people, and further contested the reported quantity. While police claimed they recovered 2g of cannabis valued at $30 (£22), the defense maintains the figure was only 0.02g.

Mr Mugabe, dressed in joggers and a red cap, was seen on his phone as he entered court on Thursday. He was not handcuffed and appeared surrounded by supporters. The magistrate ordered that he remain in custody until a bail ruling scheduled for Friday.

This is not his first run-in with the law. In 2023, he was arrested for allegedly damaging property and spitting on a police officer during a party in Harare. That case was resolved through an out-of-court settlement with the complainant, a personal acquaintance.

Robert Mugabe Sr, who led Zimbabwe from independence in 1980 until his forced resignation in 2017, died in 2019 at the age of 95. His long rule was marked by liberation credentials but later marred by accusations of electoral violence and economic mismanagement.

Relations between the Mugabe family and current president Emmerson Mnangagwa were strained after his rise to power, as Grace Mugabe’s succession ambitions were sidelined. However, Mugabe Jr has since reconciled with Mnangagwa, even appearing at a Zanu-PF rally in 2022 where he was warmly received.