A Magistrates’ Court in Zimbabwe has issued a warrant for the arrest of late President Robert Mugabe’s youngest son Bellarmine Chatunga after he failed to appear before the court.
According to New Zimbabwe, the warrant for Chatunga’s arrest was issued after he was arrested for disorderly conduct some two weeks back. He was also additionally charged with possession of prohibited knives.
Chatunga was expected to be present for a routine remand at the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court on Monday, but he failed to appear. Authorities said that police pulled over Chatunga’s vehicle at Bubi Security Roadblock in Beitbridge on August 31, adding that the driver was a South African national.
Authorities also said that police instructed the driver to provide his passport and vehicle registration documents. “Before the driver could comply, the accused person handed his passport to the Police Officer,” the southern African nation’s National Prosecuting Authority said. “The Police Officer ordered the driver to park the vehicle on the side of the road.”
Chatunga is said to have registered his displeasure over the police officer instructing the driver to park the car on the side of the road. Authorities claimed Chatunga subsequently exited the vehicle before approaching the officer and yelling, “What are you doing, you are delaying me for the fourth time. I am rushing to a wedding in Harare check my passport, don’t you know who I am.”
Authorities claimed that a small brown knife in Chatunga’s possession later dropped from his jacket during a scuffle. Chatunga was ultimately arrested after the knife was retrieved by police, New Zimbabwe reported.
Chatunga’s father Robert Mugabe died in Singapore in 2019 at the age of 95. Mugabe was arguably the founding father of Zimbabwe, but questions were raised as to whether he was a hero or a villain after his death.
