Ofure Akhigbe
Robert Mugabe Jr, son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, has been arrested and charged with drug possession after police allegedly found cannabis in his bag during a traffic stop in Harare.
The 33-year-old was stopped on Wednesday, October 1, for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Police said they discovered two sachets of cannabis in his possession. Five other suspects, alleged to be part of a syndicate linked to him, were also arrested with marijuana and ecstasy.
Mugabe Jr was remanded in custody on Thursday, October 2, while the court considers his bail application.
His lawyer denied the allegations, insisting the drugs belonged to other passengers in a separate car, and accused police of exaggerating the quantity seized.
The case has reignited public debate given Mugabe Jr’s previous run-ins with the law. In 2023, he was arrested for allegedly damaging property and spitting at a police officer, but later secured an out-of-court settlement.
Mugabe’s late father ruled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades before being forced from power in 2017. Relations between the Mugabe family and President Emmerson Mnangagwa soured after his ouster, though Mugabe Jr publicly reconciled with the ruling Zanu-PF in 2022 after attending a party rally.