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It is not a secret that the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe and his family held/hold riches far beyond what has ever seemed fair in their poverty-stricken country.

Before his death in 2019 at the age of 95, Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe from its independence from British colonial rule in 1980 until being ousted in November 2017, all the while amassing an inordinate amount of assets.

While the exact extent of the family’s wealth remains unclear, details of his estate released after his death showed he left behind $10 million, 10 cars, a farm and two houses, noted The Citizen.

All that while Zimbabweans struggled (and continue to struggle) with entrenched poverty, chronic power cuts and extreme inflation.

Now, the divorce papers of his daughter Bona Mugabe are further lifting the lid on the family’s unreasonable wealth, with court papers listing 25 properties, 21 farms, a Dubai mansion, luxury vehicles and millions in cash as part of her assets, per TimesLIVE.

Earlier this year, the 33-year-old daughter filed for divorce from her husband of nine years, the former airline pilot Simbarashe Mutsahuni (also called Chikore), who is demanding that the assets be split.

Apparently, some of the numerous properties are in Harare’s most affluent suburbs and include one valued at $40 million, while the Dubai mansion is valued at $8 million. It is said that all the properties are worth almost $80 million. Chikore also references the numerous cars, including a Bently, an $800 000 Rolls Royce and three Range Rovers, as well as farming equipment and machinery.

Mugabe also holds “substantial cash in foreign currency” and removed “cash in the sum of USD 760,000 in a bag” from the couple’s residence, according to the papers.

Chikore said that the assets listed are a “drop in the ocean” compared to what Bona actually owns. With a mom that was dubbed “Gucci Grace” in the media due to her lavish shopping sprees, you can only imagine.

Bona apparently filed for divorce from her 46-year-old husband in March on the grounds that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. Chikore won’t deny the divorce but will be fighting for his part of the assets as well as joint custody of the couple’s three children.

In the court papers, Bona claimed full custody of their three children and US$2,700 (about R49,200) maintenance per month for each child. But Chikore wants the couple to share property before the courts make a decision on the custody of the children.

Meanwhile, Zimbabweans are feeling completely smoted by this long list of luxury goods in the hands of their leaders, with journalist Hopewell Chin’ono calling out the misdirected funds. He said that the divorce case shows how land is stolen from Zimbabweans by the ruling party:

 “Many Zimbabweans were shocked today with the amount of land owned by Bona Mugabe in Borrowdale. This is how land has been stolen from Zimbabweans by Zanu PF corrupt politicans. The government requested land from  council, then it is transferred to Zanu PF corrupt politicians,” said Chin’ono.

It is loathsome how familiar this narrative sounds. In fact, South Africa is very likely following in Zim’s footsteps as we speak.

[source:timeslive&citizen]