HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s family is deeply involved in the custody battle between South Africa based Zimbabwean businessman Frank Buyanga and his former girlfriend Chantelle Muteswa
Latest reports says Chantelle is dating the president’s son Collins.
The revelations comes after Collins is accused of facilitating the disappearance of the four-year-old boy.
Chantelle Muteswa, bore the child out of wedlock to Johannesburg businessman Buyanga, who is now demanding that the police commissioner and the country’s home affairs minister investigate the matter urgently.
The cross-border custody battle between flamboyant Sandton-based businessman Frank Buyanga and his ex-girlfriend , which has seen Zimbabwe’s first family drawn into the fray, has turned ugly.
Buyanga has reported Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, Collins, to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), accusing him of “intimidating judges.”
The businessman has been fighting to bring his four-year-old son to South Africa, in a bitter court battle that pitted him against the child’s mother, Chantelle Muteswa.
He claims that Muteswa is in a relationship with Collins and accuses the President’s son of influencing judges; allegations that Muteswa has refuted.
Buyanga wrote to Zimbabwe’s JSC complaining about a judge, who was presiding over the matter, saying he was no longer comfortable with the judge handling the case because he had been communicating with some members of the Mnangagwa family.
He claimed Justice Jacob Manzunzu, who allegedly issued an adverse judgment against him in 2019, had been phoned at least 15 times by a member of the “Mnangagwa family” before the delivery of the judgment.
He wrote: “I have been furnished with evidence that one Collins Mnangagwa residing at Elshaddai Road in Glen Lorne Harare has been assisting Chantelle Muteswa in her shenanigans. As he is the son of the president (Emmerson Mnangagwa), I decided not to act against him as the president is an old friend of mine and would rather keep evidence of this abuse of office for a later stage.”
Moreover, Buyanga claimed that in recent days, one Dylish Nguwaya, described as a “close companion” to the Mnangagwa family, has been communicating with the same judge, as has one Mallan Zorodzai Chiswa “who also has links to the Muteswa family.
“Whilst I have the greatest respect and trust in Justice Manzunzu, too many adverse inferences can be drawn which affect his neutrality over the issue.”
The outspoken Buyanga further claimed that state intelligence agents had approached Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and other judges “to try and interfere in their work which goes against the constitution.”
However, Muteswa hit back saying it was the businessman that had abused his access to senior public officials “asking for favours and routinely offering to take care of their personal expenses in exchange.”
“Some of them have now come to realise that his requests are often unlawful and sometimes criminal have decided to do the right thing and refuse,” she said in a statement.
Muteswa denied using Zimbabwe’s first family in her battle with Buyanga.
“I have never met the first lady despite my efforts, she has never involved herself in my dispute with Mr. Buyanga. I am not romantically involved with either gentleman (presidents’ sons) and certainly not both of them.”
Buyanga, however, has since brought his son to South Africa after winning joint custody.
William Wilcock, Buyanga’s lawyer in South Africa, released a statement saying Zimbabwe police and other government departments had “refused to assist Buyanga in retrieving his son”.
He added: “Buyanga has since recovered his son, who is now safe with him, where he is being provided with a stable and safe home.”
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.