The eldest son of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s former president, has been arrested over allegations he damaged property at a party.

Robert Mugabe Jnr, 31, the second child of the late authoritarian leader and his wife, Grace, is accused of causing $12,000 (£10,000) worth of damage to cars and other property belonging to his friend Sindiso Nkatazo, also aged 31.

The allegations relate to a party attended by Mugabe Jnr in an upmarket area of the capital, Harare, over the weekend, reports Zimbabwean news site ZimLive.com.

It pictured Mugabe Jnr walking to Harare Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Mugabe Jnr denies the charges of malicious damage to property and says he is innocent.

His lawyer Ashiel Mugiya told reporters outside court the charges had not been dropped and the two parties were negotiating an out-of-court settlement, according to ZimLive.com.

Mugabe Jnr will be summoned back to court if these negotiations fail, Mr Mugiya said.

Read more:
Robert Mugabe leaves multi-million pound fortune
The bizarre feud between Zimbabwe and Pakistan

The court appearance comes ahead of planned celebrations in Zimbabwe to mark his late father’s birthday.

Mugabe Jnr is expected to be in Lupane on Tuesday for an event officiated by the country’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mugabe died in 2019 at the age of 95, two years after being forced to resign following 37 years in power.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

President Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s former right-hand man, replaced him.

Mugabe led the fight against white-minority rule in Zimbabwe, then known by its British colonial name of Rhodesia.

A deeply divisive figure, to some he was a revolutionary who led Zimbabwe to independence.

However, during his presidency, Mugabe was accused of economic mismanagement and a range of human rights abuses, including using violence to win elections and denying food aid to areas supporting the opposition.

Related posts:

At least 50 protesters shot dead by security forces in Myanmar – reports Civilians fleeing besieged hotel ambushed in Mozambique by suspected Islamists Off-duty Italian police officers find stolen Roman statue in Belgium – a decade after it vanished China deploys jets and bombers into Taiwanese airspace in ‘biggest incursion to date’ Media building in Gaza collapses after Israeli airstrike as Palestinian rockets target Tel Aviv area French serial killer identified as retired police officer after 35-year hunt India has given a distant net-zero target and is now asking the world for cash Suicide bomber who targeted Kabul airport during Afghanistan evacuation acted alone, investigation finds Deputy PM keeps job after calling prime minister ‘liar’ and ‘hypocrite’ in leaked text message Moscow’s claims of Ukraine biological weapons programme are ‘absurd propaganda’ Putin kept waiting by Erdogan ahead of bilateral talks Criminals attempted to hide 125kg of cocaine in specially manufactured diesel generator