Exiled Zimbabwean music legend Thomas Mapfumo is demanding the return of five vehicles confiscated by police in 2000. Speaking from his U.S. residence, Mapfumo dismissed allegations that he purchased stolen BMWs as unfounded, highlighting that the individuals who sold him the cars were never apprehended.
Mapfumo believes the ongoing harassment over the issue forced him to flee Zimbabwe in 2004. He recalled that while the police seized his vehicles on claims they were stolen, the seller, George Shugo, faced no legal consequences.
Mapfumo stated that the cars were left at Morris Depot, but when his associate, Cuthbert Chirombo, attempted to retrieve them, they were missing. The musician’s lawyer is now pursuing the case, with Mapfumo determined to reclaim his property.
Mapfumo also voiced concerns that any request for him to return to Zimbabwe to resolve the matter could be a trap orchestrated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime. He insists that the charges against him were politically motivated, stemming from his vocal criticism of the Mugabe administration, rather than any criminal activity.