Tinotenda Mugabe Junior (33), the son of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has been convicted of unlawful possession of drugs.
He appeared in the Harare Magistrate’s Court and pleaded guilty to the charges.
Mugabe was arrested in October after police found two sachets of dagga, a pack of Rizla papers, and a white dagga crusher in his sling bag during a traffic blitz in Harare. Police stopped his silver Honda Fit for driving against traffic on a one-way street along 2nd Street Extension in Harare. Mugabe reportedly refused to sign the police seizure receipt during the arrest.
The marijuana had a street value of R500.
He was then granted $300 bail after spending two nights in custody.
A warrant for his arrest had been issued on November 6 after he failed to appear for trial, but it was later cancelled when he presented himself in court a day later, accompanied by his lawyer Arshiel Mugiya.
He asked the court for leniency, saying he is a single father caring for two young children.
In mitigation, Mugabe asked for leniency, telling the court that he’s a single father of two children, a farmer earning R120 000 a month.
He escapes a prison sentence after a guilty sentence with a fine of US$300 (R5 000) and a three-month suspended sentenece by a Harare court on Thursday, If he does not commit a similar crime. This is after admitting to possession of cannabis.
Harare magistrate Lisa Mutendereki ordered Mugabe to pay the fine or serve four months in prison in default.
Zimbabwe maintains a zero-tolerance approach to drugs, with policies and laws that criminalize possession and trafficking, leading to strict enforcement, numerous arrests, and harsh prison sentences.
