Tonderai Mugabe, a man who claimed to be the secret son of the late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has withdrawn his inheritance lawsuit in the High Court after facing significant legal challenges in his attempt to claim a portion of the former President’s estate.
Tonderai sought recognition as a legitimate heir to the Mugabe estate, naming Bona Mugabe, the late President’s daughter and the estate’s executor, as the defendant. He also requested access to Mugabe’s death certificate in an effort to invoke provisions of the Administration of Estates Act.
However, his case faced several legal setbacks, including missing the six-week deadline to challenge the Master of the High Court’s decision. Justice Chitapi ruled that adopting the Mugabe surname alone did not confer legal status as a descendant.
Acknowledging the weakness of the case, Tonderai’s lawyer requested a brief adjournment before ultimately deciding to withdraw the lawsuit and agreeing to cover legal costs. Justice Chitapi deemed the case “fatally defective” and accepted its withdrawal, emphasizing that continuing the lawsuit would have been a waste of time and resources.
The defence, led by Bona Mugabe’s lawyer, Mr. Chinake, argued that the estate had already been finalized and distributed, leaving no room for further action.
Additionally, Tonderai’s evidence, including DNA results and a birth certificate, was dismissed as unreliable and not meeting the standards set by the Civil Evidence Act.
Tonderai had claimed he was born in 1977 at the Chimoio base in Mozambique during the liberation war and alleged that his mother, Hilda Maeka, had a secret relationship with Robert Mugabe.
Despite these assertions, the court found his evidence insufficient, bringing his legal challenge to an end.
