Former president, Robert Mugabe’s son Robert Tinotenda Mugabe Junior has opened up about his other side of life — fashion and designing, as well as music.
By Kennedy Nyavaya
The South Africa-based Mugabe Jnr — who is famed for flashy lifestyle, including expensive taste in alcohol and classy female companions — opened up on Tuesday evening during the Thembi Takeover show hosted by Thembi Seete on South Africa’s Massiv Metro radio station.
In a video that found its way to online platform YouTube, the 26-year-old, who was in the company of a business partner, said his mother Grace inspired him to start the fashion business.
“The first person is my mom, she would kill it. I asked her why didn’t you start a clothing line because the clothes you wear would sell,” Mugabe Jnr said.
“So, she was the first person to inspire me in clothing.”
The former first lady was known for her taste for exotic and trendy clothes, earning herself the nickname “Gucci Grace”.
However, the elder of the two Mugabe sons who does not seem sure his parents approve of his business, after they refused to finance his XGX fashion label project, hopes they soon will accept his line of business.
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“My parents were like if you want this, start with your own money. Somehow, somewhere you know, I took whatever I had out of my pocket,” he said.
“I can easily have a shop open, but then they do not want that. They want me to learn the hard way and I really want to be part of the process…”
Without doubt, Mugabe Jnr’s life and that of younger brother Bellarmine chatunga has not been like that of any other ordinary youth in the country.
“It has been a lot of pressure, especially when my dad was still the president of the nation. It was a lot of pressure on anything you did. If one person decided I do not like what, it would be a big issue,” he said.
Mugabe Jnr said he has greater prospects for the future and aims to make his label “the finest brand in Africa” as well as invade the music scene apparently from his South Africa base as he is not willing to leave anytime soon.
Describing the other side of Limpopo as the African America, Mugabe Jnr said the place was perfect for his vision to grow.
“Once you step your foot into South Africa, you are like wow, you can’t leave because if you leave then it’s either you are going to a better nation. I’m not saying there aren’t better nations, but for what I want to do, that is fashion, music — where in Africa were you going to go?”
Mugabe Jnr is believed to be part of the co-founders of entertainment company TripLife who brought Jamaican musician Tarrus Riley into the country last year.
