Kelsea Tadiwa Tafirenyika, the second wife of Collins Mnangagwa, son of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, spent Wednesday night behind bars after prosecutors successfully opposed her immediate release following her arrest on allegations of dealing in dangerous drugs.
The 22-year-old appeared before a Harare magistrate on Wednesday and was remanded in custody to Thursday for a bail hearing after the State argued that releasing her would jeopardise ongoing investigations into an alleged drug supply network.
Tafirenyika is facing a charge of unlawfully dealing in dangerous drugs after police allegedly recovered large quantities of pethidine and morphine from her Greystone Park residence and five rolls of dagga from her vehicle during a raid on Tuesday night.
According to court papers, detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics unit acted on information alleging she was selling pethidine from her home. Police claim officers found her in her bedroom counting ampoules before recovering more drugs from drawers in the room.
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The State says officers seized 154 ampoules of pethidine, 50 ampoules of morphine sulphate and five rolls of dagga. The recovered drugs are valued at US$204.
In an affidavit opposing bail, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Neverd Charuma said police were still pursuing the alleged supplier of the drugs.
"The police are yet to arrest the drug trafficker who supplied the accused with the dangerous drug, so if released on bail this will jeopardize investigations," Charuma said.
Police also argued that Tafirenyika presented a flight risk because some of the drugs allegedly found in her possession were intended for foreign markets.
"The accused was found in possession of Verpat Pethidine designed for sale in foreign markets, indicating that she has foreign ties she can utilize to evade prosecution," the affidavit reads.
Investigators further argued that she could resume contact with the alleged supplier if granted bail.
"The accused is likely to commit similar offence since she can re-establish communication lines with her supplier if granted bail," Charuma said.
The State also submitted that the seriousness of the offence and the likelihood of a lengthy custodial sentence increased the risk of her absconding.
The magistrate remanded Tafirenyika in custody to Thursday when arguments on her bail application are expected to be heard.
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