The son of former president Robert Mugabe appeared before the court on the drug accusation

The son of the former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, appeared before a courtyard accused of possession of drugs.

According to court documents, Robert Mugabe Jr, 33, was arrested on Wednesday morning while driving in the wrong direction in a one -way street. Police searched a bag of black sling he wore at the time and would have found two small bags of cannabis.

Following the incident, police said in a statement that five people in a “union linked to him” had also been arrested.

Mr. Mugabe’s lawyer told the BBC that they planned to deny the accusations and challenged the factual allegations made by the police.

Ashiel Mugiya said that the drugs had been recovered in a car that had three other occupants and that the police had found 0.02 g of cannabis – while the police said the police had recovered 2 g, with a street value of $ 30 (£ 22).

Mr. Mugabe wore joggers and a red cap on his phone while he was led to the court of first instance on Thursday. He was surrounded by people and was not handcuffed.

The court referred Mr. Mugabe to detention pending a release decision under bond on Friday.

On the alleged members of the union they arrested, police said they had found 25 marijuana sachets and six Ecstasy pills.

Police said they would continue to investigate.

This is not Mr. Mugabe’s first brush with the law. In 2023, the second child of the former president and his widow Grace was arrested for allegations that he damaged property and spit a police officer at a party in Harare, the Zimbabwean capital, in 2023.

He was released after accepting an out of the field with the complainant, who was one of his friends.

Former President Mugabe died in 2019 at the age of 95, two years after being forced to resign after 37 years in charge of the southern African nation.

He led the fight against the 1970s against the white minority rule of what was previously called rhodesia – but he was then accused of using violence to gain elections and destroy the economy of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe SR was replaced by his former right arm Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Relations between Mnangagwa and the Mugabe family had been heavy after accused the outgoing president of betraying the long -standing chief of Zimbabwe.

Grace had ambitions to succeed her husband, but was sidelined by supporters of Mnangagwa.

However, Mr. Mugabe Jr has since reconciled with Mnangagwa, assistant to a rally in 2022 where he was publicly welcomed in the Zanu-PF party in power.