Mugabe's sons fall from grace

The Zimbabwean veteran leader's fall and death had a negative impact on his then young children

- Lenin Ndebele

Irresponsible sex, betrayal, drugs, alcohol, failed marriage, short temper, violence, arrogance and a “do you know who I am” attitude summarise the lives of late Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe's children.

The fall of Mugabe in November 2017 and his eventual death in September two years later had a direct and negative impact on his then relatively young children. Six years after his death, the reality of navigating life without Mugabe’s philosophical approach or first family privileges that could literally let his kids get away with murder is still hitting hard.

Bona Mugabe, aged 37, Robert Jr, 33, Chatunga, 29, and their older stepbrother Russell Goreraza, 41, are now just rich kids from next door with everyday struggles.

Robert Jr has earned a reputation for being unpredictable and uncontrollable. Last week, he was arrested for drug possession while speeding through traffic at high speed in the busiest section of Harare’s central business district.

He is out on $300 bail and due back in court on 22 October to answer to charges of the unlawful possession of two grams of marijuana. The state will seek to link Mugabe to a network of alleged drug dealers in Harare; he’s accused of peddling.

In February 2023, Mugabe Jr appeared in court facing charges of malicious property damage. The state said one morning, Mugabe Jr accused his friend’s gardener of urinating on the wheels of his car, leading to a heated argument.