By Lovemore Lubinda
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — Three relatives of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, Collins Mnangagwa, spent the weekend in custody in Bulawayo after being charged with dealing in dangerous drugs.
The women — Amina Jassinta Jessub Arab, 47, who is the mother of Collins Mnangagwa’s second wife Kelsea Tafirenyika; her daughter Dyonne Tanaka Tafirenyika, 28; and their relative Noreen Jessub, 51 — appeared in court on Thursday before Bulawayo magistrate Taurai Manuwere.
The magistrate reserved his ruling on their bail application until Monday.
They were arrested on Wednesday at a lodge in Bulawayo’s Ilanda suburb. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), police searched their rooms and allegedly recovered drugs and cash.
The NPA said officers found two sachets of cocaine worth ZiG9,000 hidden in a shoe in Jessub’s room, and two more sachets of cocaine in a small bag in Arab’s room.
In Tafirenyika’s room, police said they found a sachet of crystal meth, a sachet of cocaine and US$53,055 in cash.
Prosecutors opposed bail.
Investigating officer Phillimon Gumberu told the court in an affidavit that there was “overwhelming evidence” against the women and that they posed a flight risk.
He said the large amount of cash found with Tafirenyika was “proceeds of crime” which she had failed to explain. The state argued it had a strong case with direct evidence, and that the family may be involved in a criminal enterprise.
Defence lawyer Brezhnev Mathonsi asked the court to grant bail.
He said the state already held the women’s passports and had gathered all its evidence, so there was no risk of witness interference.
He also questioned the strength of the prosecution’s case, noting that multiple security agencies had searched the scene and suggesting that could raise questions about whether the drugs had been planted.
“While the alleged offence might be grave, the accused enjoy a presumption of innocence until proven guilty at trial,” Mathonsi said.
Local outlet ZimLive reported that the arrests came just hours before the three were due to board a private jet chartered from the United Arab Emirates that had positioned at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.
The jet was held overnight on Wednesday and was cleared to depart on Thursday morning without them.
Separately, Kelsea Tafirenyika, who was first arrested on August 4 on drug charges and later released on bail, was re-arrested on Thursday night.
Prosecutors have now charged her with money laundering, alleging she used proceeds from drug dealing to buy properties including luxury vehicles and houses worth $10 million.
One of the vehicles, a Toyota Land Cruiser, was repossessed from Arab on August 13. Her bail application was also postponed to Monday.
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