HARARE – Former first lady Grace Mugabe’s son Russell Goreraza appeared in court on Monday accused of stealing mining equipment.
Goreraza, 37, is charged alongside three other men. A magistrate in Concession postponed ruling on their bail applications to Tuesday.
The former first lady’s son from her first marriage was arrested after police intercepted a truck carrying mining equipment on April 10. The three occupants of the truck – Paul Sithole, 45, Aaron Muchenje, 31, and Trymore Madzitire, 36 – allegedly implicated Goreraza.
The prosecution alleges that Goreraza sent Muchenje, Madzitire and Sithole to a mining site where Tian Bao Mineral Industry (Pvt) Ltd is carrying out mining activities with orders to “dismantle the processing plant”. The mining site is inside Smithfield Farm owned by the Mugabes.
Arriving shortly before 7AM, “the accused loaded a gold smelter, ball mill, electric motor, 200 ball mill metal balls, 50 ball mill liners, 20 slay pumps, and 15 angle iron bars into a Mercedes Benz truck using a crane,” the prosecution alleges.
Muchenje and Sithole, both of Borrowdale Brooke in Harare, and Madzitire of Honde Valley, “were intercepted by Mazowe police… and they implicated Goreraza,” according to the prepared charges.
The value of the “stolen” equipment was US$130,000, says the National Prosecuting Authority.
The four men were not asked to plead.
Prince Danda, described as the managing director of Tian Bao Mineral Industry, is the complainant.
