Johannesbrug – Bellarmine Mugabe, the son of late Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe has pleaded guilty to pointing of firearm and contravening the country’s immigration laws in the Alexandra Regional Court.
His co-accused Tobias Matonhodze Mugabe pleaded guilty to attempted murder, defeating ends of justice, illegal immigration and possession of ammunition.
The attempted murder charge relates to the shooting of a gardener at the Mugabe residence in Johannesburg.
The gardener, who was severely injured, is in hospital receiving treatment for his wounds.
A plea and sentence agreement, governed by Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act, allows the state and the accused person to negotiate a resolution to a criminal case without proceeding to a full trial.
This agreement involves the accused person, represented by their attorney, agreeing to plead guilty to the charges in exchange for a negotiated sentence. The agreement aims to expedite the legal process, reduce the court’s burden, and reach a mutually acceptable outcome.
When South African police arrived at the crime scene, they could not find the gun, and it has not yet been recovered.
The shooting, which happened at the Mugabe residence in Johannesburg’s upmarket, leafy suburb of Hyde Park, is the latest in a litany of cases involving Mugabe’s sons.
The Johannesburg house was bought for the Mugabe boys when their father was still in power in 2017 for R43 million, which was the equivalent of about US$3.2 million at the time.
Chatunga Bellarmine is Robert Mugabe’s third and last born child with his second wife, Grace Mugabe.
Grace Mugabe cannot come to South Africa to support her son because of a warrant of arrest issued in 2017 after she allegedly assaulted South African model Gabriella Engels at a Johannesburg hotel.
The shooting, which happened at the Mugabe residence in Johannesburg’s upmarket, leafy suburb of Hyde Park, is the latest in a litany of cases involving Mugabe’s sons.
The Johannesburg house was bought for the Mugabe boys when their father was still in power in 2017 for R43 million, which was the equivalent of about US$3.2 million at the time.