By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
President Robert Mugabe’s elder son was almost executed when Dubai officials caught him with drugs recently, claims Thomas Mapfumo, a renowned Zimbabwean musician living in exile in the United States of America.
Mapfumo left Zimbabwe in the 2000s and sought asylum in the US, alleging that Mugabe’s security forces were hounding him for his music that was critical of the Zanu PF government.
Addressing scores of Zimbabweans and other people at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York where Mugabe travelled for the global body’s summit, Mapfumo sensationally revealed that Mugabe left a Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting to rescue Robert Jnr.
Mugabe recently travelled to Mbabane, Swaziland, for the SADC Heads of State and Government convention but hurriedly dumped the summit, briefly returned home and then took off for Dubai.
Upon his return, the 92-year-old ruler claimed that he had gone to see one of his children, but did not explain why he had to drop his SADC meeting schedule in a huff.
His spokesperson, George Charamba, gave a contradicting explanation on the day Mugabe returned from Dubai as the media and prominent citizens speculated that he had suffered stroke.
Charamba wrote in the Saturday Herald, saying the trip to Dubai was an official commitment that had been planned well before the SADC meeting.
Mapfumo said Mugabe paid for his son’s freedom using $1.5 million worth of diamonds.
“Do you know that when he (Mugabe) rushed to Dubai, he was going to rescue his son who had been arrested for possessing drugs? They (Dubai authorities) were going to execute him. He paid with diamonds to free his son, we know that,” said Mapfumo.
He said the law enforcers in Dubai had told him they were about to execute his son, but it is not clear if Robert Jnr had been tried already.
He said Mugabe was involved in marathon negotiations with the Dubai officials who finally released Robert Jnr who is currently living there.
Robert Jnr is not new to controversy.
Several years ago, he was reported to have faced expulsion from Kutama College, an elite high school, after being found in possession of pornographic material which he had reportedly been sharing with fellow students.
Mapfumo described Mugabe as “the biggest thief”, adding that he owned 13 farms.
“Where have you seen a president owning 13 farms? What for?” added Mapfumo. Nehanda Radio
