Sanday Chongo Kabange in Hong Kong

Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe, is Tuesday expected to attend a graduation ceremony for daughter, Bona, who has been studying at the City University of Hong Kong.

“Hie dude? Mugabe is in your city on a supposed official visit to China, but will attend a graduation ceremony for his daughter at some university in Hong Kong,” said a Zimbabwean journalist who asked not to be named.

Mugabe and his wife, Grace, will be on hand to witness their daughter’s graduation with a Bachelor of Accountancy degree at City University of Hong Kong on Tuesday.

“Mugabe is in Hong Kong attending the graduation of his daughter Bona that side. Just try and look out for him at the graduation,” said the journalist.

The stay and study here of 22 year-old Bona Mugabe alias Tracy Guvamombe has been marred by controversy.

On 17 February, 2009 the University of Hong Kong (HKU) distanced itself from the controversy, denying a report that she was a student here.

“We do not have a student by the name of Bona Mugabe on our student register, and we do not have any lady student from Zimbabwe who is reading for an undergraduate programme or is at the age of around 20,” HKU said in a statement.

Subsequent reports clarified that Bona was in fact enrolled at the City University of Hong Kong, which said she met normal admission requirements and her enrolment was not influenced by her parentage.

Due to the attention surrounding Robert Mugabe’s daughter her family enlisted the help of a female ex-government official to provide safety and supervision during her time in Hong Kong.

Bona’s presence in Hong Kong was exposed by her mother’s physical assault on a journalist in January 2009. Thereafter a protest started on the University of Zimbabwe campus in Harare on February 3, 2009 resulting in about 30 students requiring medical attention.

The University of Zimbabwe students were protesting to the Chinese authorities that Bona should return to Zimbabwe and study in the same conditions as her peers.

Hong Kong’s government came under fire for allowing Mugabe’s daughter to live and study in the city despite international sanctions against her father and selected officials in his administration.

A check at a luxurious hotel located around Hong Kong’s Central area Saturday, spotted several African men and women – in a city whose population is mainly Asians or westerners.

It was not clear whether the group is part of Mugabe’s advance team because hotel authorities could not give out any guest details or the exact hotel Mugabe’s family is staying while in Hong Kong. Mugabe’s delegation arrived from Singapore where he went for his routine medical check up.

One man with a South African accent said he was a visitor from the Democratic Republic of Congo and expressed ignorance at the heavy presence of Africans at a well known hotel in Central. It is likely that the Zimbabwean leader might be booked at the same hotel or another poshy one in Kowloon, slightly away from Central.

Mugabe’s latest trip abroad triggered fresh speculation over his health, having travelled to the Far East several times this year to seek treatment for what officials initially described as a cataract complaint.

The 87 year-old dismisses the speculation and declared himself “fit” after returning from Singapore at the end of October for what officials described as a private visit – his eighth to the region this year alone.

He is set to represent his ZANU PF party in the 2012 vote.

While here, the controversial Zimbabwean leader is expected to meet jewellers keen to import Zimbabwean diamonds after that country was recently cleared to export gems from the contested Marange mining zone.

From Hong Kong Mugabe is expected to proceed to mainland China for meetings with investors including an airline said to be exploring the possibility of a partnership with the struggling Air Zimbabwe.