The divorce proceedings of Bona Mugabe, the daughter of the country’s former president, have brought to light documents that could have far-reaching implications. Court documents list assets worth nearly $80 million.
The divorce of the daughter of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019, has revealed the considerable wealth accumulated by the family of the former leader. This is composed of assets worth about 80 million dollars.
These figures were made public through the divorce proceedings between Bona Mugabe and her husband Simbarashe Mutsahuni Chikore, a former airline pilot, after nine years of marriage.
According to court documents, seen by AFP, Simbarashe Mutsahuni Chikore listed assets owned by Bona Mugabe or jointly held by the couple, such as dozens of properties, farms, luxury cars and nearly $1 million in cash.
Simbarashe Mutsahuni Chikore is opposed to the divorce. However, if they were to separate, he is seeking joint custody of their three children and a share of the assets the couple acquired together.
A varied estate
Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe from its independence from the British Empire in 1980 until 2017, when he was ousted from power in a coup, died at the age of 95 in Singapore in 2019. Details of his estate, released the same year, revealed that he left behind a fortune of $10 million, 10 cars, a farm and two houses. However, some believed that the Mugabe family’s wealth was far greater than these reported assets.
Indeed, the assets listed include 21 farms and more than 25 properties in the capital Harare, including one valued at $40 million, as well as a mansion in Dubai.
Simbarashe Mutsahuni Chikore also lists several cars, including a Rolls Royce worth $800,000 and three Range Rovers. According to the documents, Bona Mugabe also has a “substantial amount of cash in foreign currency, the exact amount of which is expected to be disclosed in court”, and allegedly removed “$760,000 in cash in a bag” from the couple’s residence.
These latest revelations are expected to cause further outrage among Zimbabweans, who are suffering from poverty, frequent power cuts and severe inflation.
