Robert Mugabe Jr Fined for Marijuana Possession in Harare Court

Robert Mugabe Jr, son of Zimbabwe’s late president, was sentenced for marijuana possession on Thursday. The 33-year-old appeared before Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki and pleaded guilty to carrying two grams of the drug.

He asked for leniency, citing his circumstances. “I am a farmer, a single father of two, earning US$7,000 a month, a first-time offender, and I pleaded on my own accord,” he told the court.

The case stems from October. Police stopped Mugabe Jr in Harare’s CBD after he drove a Honda Fit against traffic. A search revealed two sachets of marijuana and a marijuana crusher. The street value was around Ksh 3,700.

He had initially been granted $300 bail. But he missed a routine court date, prompting a warrant for his arrest. The warrant was later cancelled, and he appeared in court without further issue.

Magistrate Mutendereki fined him $300 and handed a three-month suspended sentence. He must avoid similar offences for the next five years. Police claims linking him to a larger drug cartel were dismissed.

The case is a rare legal blow to the Mugabe family. While his father ruled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades, Robert Jr has mostly stayed out of politics, focusing on business and social projects.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has a zero-tolerance stance on drugs. He calls substance abuse a “moral cancer” and a threat to society. The case shows the government enforces laws regardless of status.

This conviction reminds the public that no one is above the law in Zimbabwe.