Tonderai Mugabe, who claimed to be the secret son of the late President Robert Mugabe has withdrawn his challenge in the High Court following an unsuccessful attempt to reopen the estate of the former President.
Allegations are that he was born on April 20, 1977, at the Chimoio base in Mozambique during the liberation war.
His mother, Hilda Maeka, also known as Cde Paidamoyo, allegedly had a romantic relationship with the late President, but kept his paternity a secret due to fear of Sally Mugabe, the former First Lady.
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Tonderai’s maternal grandfather, Thomas Maeka, had even attempted to secure recognition for him from the Mugabe family, but to no avail.
Tonderai’s claims, however, were not limited to family stories.
He had also submitted DNA results and a birth certificate as evidence, which he believed would prove his connection to the late President.
However, these documents failed to meet the standards required under the Civil Evidence Act, and Justice Chitapi dismissed them as unreliable and lacking credibility.
Despite the weakness of his evidence, Tonderai approached the High Court, seeking to be recognized as a rightful heir to the Mugabe estate. He named Bona Mugabe, the late leader’s daughter and executor of the estate, as the respondent in his suit. Represented by Mr. T.M. Zenda of Hungwe and Partners, Tonderai demanded access to President Mugabe’s death certificate, intending to invoke provisions of the Administration of Estates Act.
However, Tonderai’s case was already on shaky ground. His lawsuit faced an early hurdle due to procedural flaws, including missing the statutory six-week deadline to challenge the decision of the Master of the High Court. Furthermore, Justice Chitapi stated that merely adopting a name, such as the Mugabe surname, does not confer legal status as a descendant.
As the case progressed, it became increasingly clear that Tonderai’s bid to rewrite the Mugabe legacy was doomed to fail. Mr. Chinake, the legal representative for Bona Mugabe, argued that the estate had already been finalized and distributed, leaving no legal basis for reopening it. The law, he pointed out, protects executors from such claims once an estate is officially wound up.
Realizing the inevitability of defeat, Tonderai’s lawyer requested a brief adjournment to consult with his client. Upon resuming, Tonderai opted to withdraw the case and agreed to pay legal costs. Justice Chitapi accepted the withdrawal, describing the lawsuit as “fatally defective” and legally unsalvageable, sparing the court from wasting further time and resources.
In the end, Tonderai was left counting costly losses, his claim to the Mugabe estate rejected and his evidence dismissed as insufficient. The court’s decision marked a decisive end to Tonderai’s attempts to claim a share of the late President’s legacy, leaving the Mugabe family’s estate intact and undisturbed.
