Robert Mugabe Jr., the 33-year-old son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, has been arrested in Harare on charges of possessing illegal drugs. According to Zimbabwean news outlet ZimLive, police detained him on Wednesday after allegedly finding cannabis and cocaine in his possession. He has arrived at the Harare Magistrates Court where he will appear before a magistrate on drugs charges.
This is not the first time Mugabe Jr. has faced legal troubles. In 2023, he was arrested on allegations of damaging property and assaulting a police officer following a dispute at a party. At the time, prosecutors accused him of smashing car windscreens and spitting on an officer, with damages valued at around $12,000. He denied the charges and sought an out-of-court settlement with the complainant, who was described as a friend.
Mugabe Jr. is the second child of the late Robert Mugabe and his widow, Grace. His high-profile brushes with the law have drawn widespread public attention in Zimbabwe, where his father ruled for nearly four decades before being ousted in 2017.
The late Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019 at the age of 95, was a central figure in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle but later faced international condemnation for alleged human rights abuses and policies that critics say crippled the country’s economy.
The younger Mugabe’s court appearance over the drug-related charges comes at a time when Zimbabwean authorities have been increasing crackdowns on narcotics use in urban centres.
Melissa Enoch
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