Mugabe’s Son in Court Over Johannesburg Shooting
Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe, the 28-year-old son of Zimbabwe’s former leader, appeared in a South African court today, Monday 23 February, facing several criminal charges.
The charges follow an incident last Thursday, 19 February, at his residence in the wealthy Hyde Park suburb in Johannesburg, Gauteng, where a 23-year-old gardener was shot in the back.
The victim reportedly tried to escape during an altercation but was wounded and left outside the property. Alongside co-accused Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, Mugabe faces charges of attempted murder, theft, and illegal possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors also allege the pair defeated the ends of justice, noting that the weapon has not been found.
Additionally, authorities are investigating potential violations of the Immigration Act. While the gardener remains in a critical condition, Mugabe’s lawyer, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, stated his client was “fine” in custody.
Mnguni noted that “at this stage I am not at liberty to disclose anything”, as the investigation continues.
This legal trouble follows years of public scrutiny over the Mugabe family’s extravagant lifestyle and previous scandals involving Bellarmine’s mother, Grace, and brother, Robert Junior. The defendants are remanded in custody until a bail hearing on 3 March.
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