HARARE – A female lawyer representing business tycoon Frank Buyanga was allegedly abducted by suspected government agents in the latest twist to a child custody battle which has sucked in first lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa.
The claim was made on Saturday by the Mauritius-headquartered African Medallion Group (AMG), a precious metals company Buyanga founded in 2017.
In a statement, the company accused Mnangagwa of interference in a legal battle between Buyanga and his ex-girlfriend, Chantelle Muteswa, over the custody of their five-year-old son.
Muteswa met President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wife at State House on November 5, following which the first lady allegedly demanded Buyanga’s arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. She also allegedly advised Muteswa to file a corruption complaint against magistrates and judges who had ruled in Buyanga’s favour.
AMG said the abduction was reported to Highlands Police Station “and until now no meaningful investigations have been made.”
Police spokesman Paul Nyathi was not immediately available for comment on Sunday.
“It is our view that this abduction may have been caused by the same elements trying to interfere with the judicial process. These tactics to attack our founder using his innocent five-year-old child and the mother to further their cause are in our view nothing less than cheap and inhumane,” AMG said in a statement.
AMG said it was issuing a “stern warning that should anything happen to our founder Buyanga Sadiqi, we will hold members of the first family and all their agents fully accountable and responsible.”
“This mischievous conduct and attempted interference by the state with the judiciary is one of a dictatorship and not a democracy ad undermines the constitution,” the company added.
Buyanga and Muteswa have been embroiled in a messy legal battle over the custody of the child for more than a year. Buyanga has a pending High Court application for joint custody.
Last week, the millionaire property tycoon was granted permission to obtain a new birth certificate and passport for the boy after Muteswa failed to list him as the father in the original birth certificate which saw the child being given her surname.
