Robert Mugabe Jr. Fined and Given Suspended Sentence for Marijuana Possession
Police found the marijuana during a traffic stop in Harare’s central business district, along with a marijuana crusher in his sling bag. The total street value of the seized drugs was estimated at Ksh. 3,700
Harare The son of Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert Mugabe Jr., has been sentenced to a fine and a three-month suspended jail term for possessing marijuana
The 33-year-old appeared before Harare Provincial Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki on Thursday, pleading guilty to possessing two grams of marijuana. During the hearing, Mugabe Jr. requested leniency, citing that he was a first-time offender, a farmer, and a single father of two earning US$7,000 a month
Mugabe Jr. had been arrested in October and granted a $300 bail but missed a subsequent court appearance, prompting a temporary arrest warrant that was later rescinded
Police found the marijuana during a traffic stop in Harare’s central business district, along with a marijuana crusher in his sling bag. The total street value of the seized drugs was estimated at Ksh. 3,700
Magistrate Mutendereki fined Mugabe Jr. $300 (Ksh. 38,800) and suspended his three-month sentence on condition that he refrains from committing a similar offense over the next five years
Also read : NACADA Seizes Ksh.2 Million Worth of Bhang in Naivasha, Two Arrested
The Zimbabwe Republic Police had sought to link Mugabe Jr. to a cartel of alleged drug dealers, including children of prominent citizens. The conviction represents a rare legal setback for the Mugabe family, previously one of Zimbabwe’s most powerful political dynasties
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has emphasized a zero-tolerance policy on drugs, labeling substance abuse as a “moral cancer” and a societal threat
Writer : Mweru Mbugua
