President Mugabe’s last born son, Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe failed his 2009 Grade 7 examinations, it has emerged.

Observers have likened his grades to his mother, Grace’s dismal academic performance, contrary to his father who is known to have achieved academic success.

Grade seven results were released two weeks ago. Sources at the the examination council ZIMSEC disclose that Chatunga just managed to score 14 points in last year’s examinations at Hartmann House. He ranked among the few who failed.

Another son of Mugabe, Robert Junior set for his Ordinary levels last year and results are due anytime.

Grade seven examinations are a gateway to higher education. Pupils are tested in four subjects – mathematics, English, content and shona language. The highest pass per each subject is a 1 and worst grade is a nine. With Chatunga scoring 14 points - on average he got four points.

Sources at the school say Mugabe’s son had a passion for basketball and had the encouragement of his mother Grace, to take the sport seriously.

Observers have indicated that Chatunga may have inherited the "low IQ from his mother". The First Lady, a former secretary of Mugabe, made international headlines a few years ago after she dropped out of a university in the United Kingdom, where she was reading for a Bachelor of Arts (English) degree. She is believed to have failed in most of her examinations.

The Zimbabwean First Lady had been reportedly registered at the University of London since 1996. Eight years and only two passes later, she was given until December 2004 to complete the degree programme or face being deregistered. Her lack of progress prompted the University officials to deregister her from the programme. She was studying through correspondence.

President Robert Mugabe, on the other hand, became a teacher after studying under scholarship at a Fort Hare university in South Africa. He also received law degrees from the University of South Africa and the University of London by correspondence, between 1964 and 1974 during his time in prison. Despite his unpopular regime, Robert Mugabe has been widely praised for his contribution to the expansion of Zimbabwean education. With a 90% literacy rate, Zimbabwe holds the highest educational level on the African continent.

But, according to sources, so dismal was the first lady’s performance that she obtained marks as low as 7% in one of the subjects, Approaches to Text. "In 1998, Grace failed all three subjects she was tested for. She flunked Explorations in Literature (I) for which she achieved 9%, Explorations in Literature (II)—18% and Renaissance Comedy: Shakespeare and Jonson—17%.

"The following year the first lady repeated the three subjects but again failed Explorations in Literature (I)—31%, Renaissance Comedy: Shakespeare and Jonson—29%," the report said.

"She, however, salvaged a pass in Explorations in Literature (II) with a 42% mark. In the same year, she attempted an additional subject, Approaches to Text, but failed with a lowly 7% mark."