The eldest son of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s former president, has been arrested over allegations he damaged property at a party.

Robert Mugabe Jnr, 31, the second child of the late authoritarian leader and his wife, Grace, is accused of causing $12,000 (£10,000) worth of damage to cars and other property belonging to his friend Sindiso Nkatazo, also aged 31.

The allegations relate to a party attended by Mugabe Jnr in an upmarket area of the capital, Harare, over the weekend, reports Zimbabwean news site ZimLive.com.

It pictured Mugabe Jnr walking to Harare Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Mugabe Jnr denies the charges of malicious damage to property and says he is innocent.

His lawyer Ashiel Mugiya told reporters outside court the charges had not been dropped and the two parties were negotiating an out-of-court settlement, according to ZimLive.com.

Mugabe Jnr will be summoned back to court if these negotiations fail, Mr Mugiya said.

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The court appearance comes ahead of planned celebrations in Zimbabwe to mark his late father’s birthday.

Mugabe Jnr is expected to be in Lupane on Tuesday for an event officiated by the country’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mugabe died in 2019 at the age of 95, two years after being forced to resign following 37 years in power.

President Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s former right-hand man, replaced him.

Mugabe led the fight against white-minority rule in Zimbabwe, then known by its British colonial name of Rhodesia.

A deeply divisive figure, to some he was a revolutionary who led Zimbabwe to independence.

However, during his presidency, Mugabe was accused of economic mismanagement and a range of human rights abuses, including using violence to win elections and denying food aid to areas supporting the opposition.