Two individuals from Harare were taken into custody this month after separately driving to the State House and requesting to meet President Emmerson Mnangagwa on different occasions.
One of them, a 40-year-old named Felix Togaraseyi Magureyi, even falsely claimed to be Mnangagwa’s father, despite the 81-year-old president’s actual age.
Magureyi was apprehended with a pistol magazine, a toy firearm, and a sjambok, among other items. Another visitor to Mnangagwa, Michael Kunyeya, aged 29, appeared before a Harare Magistrate on charges of unlawful possession of dangerous drugs.
According to the state’s allegations, on May 22, 2024, Kunyeya, driving an unregistered Toyota Fortuner, drove to the State House and sought to meet the President to discuss his problems.
When police officers manning the gate requested to search Kunyeya’s vehicle, they found one sachet of cocaine and nine empty sachets with cocaine residue, leading to his immediate arrest.
Kunyeya, photographed with Mnangagwa and the Mugabe brothers on different occasions, was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court on 12 June.
Magureyi was also arrested and brought before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi after allegedly entering State House by force and demanding to see Mnangagwa.
Prosecutors stated that on May 7, Magureyi arrived at State House in Harare driving a Toyota Hilux Raider. Upon arrival, Magureyi parked his car at the visitor’s entrance, got out, and began dancing in front of a police officer stationed at the entrance to the State House.
Magureyi informed the officer that he wished to see Mnangagwa and claimed to be the president’s father before forcibly entering the yard.
A search of Magureyi’s vehicle yielded an unknown pistol magazine, 4 rounds of ammunition, one hand-held Boafeng communication radio, a burnt bulb extract, a bunch of keys, a sjambok, and a toy firearm.
