COURT SLAMS DOOR ON BAIL FOR MNANGAGWA DAUGHTER-IN-LAW OVER DRUG ALLEGATIONS
By Gabriel Manyati
Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa has refused to free socialite Kelsea Tadiwa Tafirenyika and her uncle Isaac Jessub, declaring the pair a potential danger to society and a clear flight risk in a case that has drawn intense public attention.
The 22-year-old, known as the second wife of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son Collins, remains in remand after the court ruled that no conditions could sufficiently prevent absconding or further alleged offences. Gofa stressed the need to protect the public from those facing serious drug dealing charges.
Detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit raided Tafirenyika’s Greystone Park home in Edgehill Close on 4 August after a tip-off. Prosecutors say officers found her in her bedroom counting ampoules. They allegedly recovered more than 200 ampoules of pethidine and morphine from the room, with five rolls of cannabis later found hidden in the armrest of her white Lamborghini.
Jessub was allegedly found with similar substances in a Mercedes-Benz and is said to have pointed investigators towards his niece, claiming she had supplied him.
The state further told the court that two national identity documents were recovered, one in Tafirenyika’s name and another bearing the name Gertrude Badza. Magistrates viewed this as heightening the risk of evasion. Some of the recovered medicines were reportedly intended for foreign markets, including those linked to Malawi, which prosecutors argued pointed to possible external connections.
Tafirenyika and Jessub deny the charges. They have alleged that police assaulted them during the arrest and forced them to sign seizure documents. Officers rejected the claims. The court ordered medical examinations in response.
Investigations into the suspected supplier continue. The matter has been remanded to allow further probes, with both accused remaining in custody. The allegations have not yet been tested at trial, and the pair are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case has spotlighted the contrast between luxury living and the serious nature of the charges under Zimbabwe’s drug laws, while underscoring the court’s firm stance on protecting society in high-profile matters involving controlled substances