Robert Mugabe’s son arrested over alleged assault in Harare

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, has been arrested with four other men in connection with an alleged assault in Harare, police say.

The incident occurred during an investigation into two luxury vehicles suspected of having been smuggled into Zimbabwe, local news outlet ZimLive reported. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission said one of its investigators was assaulted during the operation.

Police said the alleged assault took place at Brompton Guest Lodge at about 6.30pm local time on 3 November. The five men are due to appear in court on 5 November, the BBC reported.

ZimLive quoted commission spokesperson Simiso Mlevu as saying there were indications that the South African-registered Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz had entered Zimbabwe under temporary import permits. Investigators suspected the vehicles had stayed beyond the permitted periods, the outlet reported.

A separate report by NewZimbabwe said investigators had found neither temporary import permits nor official entry records for the vehicles. ZimLive said it was unclear what role each of the men allegedly played in their importation or possession.

Mugabe, 29, is the son of Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace. His father ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before being forced from power in 2017; he died in 2019.