Published on 03/10/2025
Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s son has been detained on drug possession charges, with the police saying he is part of a syndicate of illegal substance peddlers.
Robert Mugabe Junior, 33, appeared in court on Thursday following his arrest the previous day in central Harare, after police officers observed him driving on the wrong side of the road.
Prosecutor Mandirasa Chigumira told Harare Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki that upon stopping and searching Mugabe Junior’s silver Honda Fit, the officers discovered two sachets of cannabis weighing two grams.
The drugs had a street value of US$30 and were found inside a sling bag that he was carrying. The police officers also found a packet of Rizla papers and a small grinder.
Mugabe Jnr was charged with possession of dangerous drugs, and his bail application will be heard on Friday.
The police said they had arrested three more people who they claim were part of his drug syndicate.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that besides the arrest of Robert Mugabe Jnr on 1 October 2025 for drug possession and peddling, a syndicate linked to him and others has also been arrested,” the police said.
“The syndicate includes Mitchel Jackson (28), Phillip Munetsi Chiyangwa (26) and Tanaka Kashamba (25).
“Police also recovered 25 sachets of Indo hybrid dagga and six ecstasy pills from the syndicate.”
Mugabe Jnr, a lanky sportsman who once played for Zimbabwe’s senior basketball team, was dressed casually in track bottoms and a red cap when he arrived at the magistrates’ court accompanied by detectives.
He was not handcuffed and walked slowly, while speaking on the phone as he entered the court building.
Mugabe Jnr, who has a sister named Bona and a brother, Chatunga, has had several run-ins with the law since his father’s death in 2019.
In February 2023, he was arrested for smashing vehicle windscreens and causing damage to property at a house party while under the influence of alcohol. The case was dropped after he paid compensation to the victims.
The late Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist from 1980 until he was toppled in a military coup in 2017, had three children with his second wife Grace, whom he married in 1996.
His first wife, Sally, who was from Ghana, died in 1992, and they had no surviving children.
In a rare interview in which he spoke openly about his children, Mugabe said he did not believe that Robert Jnr or Chatunga would take after him. At the time, his sons were causing him concern due to their underperformance at school and behaviour.
Mugabe was particularly critical of Robert Jnr, calling him an “undertaker” after he got the worst grades in his A-level exams.
Robert Jnr was also expelled from Kutama College, a prestigious school where his father was an alumnus who was held in high regard for his academic prowess.
Chatunga, 28, has also had several run-ins with the law. The most recent incident occurred in July this year, when he was arrested for orchestrating a violent attack on five security guards in a farming area north of Harare.
He accused the guards of harbouring artisanal miners who were trespassing on their neighbouring farm.
Last year, Chatunga was arrested for assaulting a police officer at a check point near Zimbabwe’s border with South Africa.
