Zim GBC News | South African Correspondent
JOHANNESBURG – Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the 28-year-old son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, is due to appear before the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg today facing attempted murder charges following the shooting of a gardener at his Hyde Park residence.
The younger Mugabe was arrested on Thursday after police responded to reports of a shooting at his upscale home, where a 23-year-old man was found with a critical gunshot wound.
A 33-year-old co-accused will appear alongside him in court as investigations continue.
Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that the victim, who had previously been employed as a gardener at the property, remains in serious condition.
“Apparently he did not come to work for some time and there was an altercation regarding that,” Colonel Nevhuhulwi told reporters.
“It was indicated that he is in a critical condition, but we are hoping that he will be fine.”
The victim sustained a single gunshot wound, according to police statements.
Authorities have confirmed that both Mugabe and his co-accused have undergone gunshot residue testing—a forensic procedure that detects microscopic metal particles expelled when a firearm is discharged. These particles can remain on a shooter’s hands, face, and clothing for hours after a shooting.
Despite extensive searches of the property, including the use of K-9 units, police have been unable to locate the firearm allegedly used in the incident. However, investigators did seize a vehicle at the residence, which they allege was illegally fitted with police sirens.
This arrest adds to a growing list of legal encounters for Chatunga Mugabe. In August 2024, he was arrested for disorderly conduct at a police checkpoint along the Beitbridge-Harare highway, where officers reportedly found him in possession of a knife. In June last year, he was apprehended after allegedly leading a violent assault on illegal gold miners who had encroached onto his mother’s farm in Mazowe, with reports indicating several people suffered broken limbs during the incident.
Legal experts have noted that Chatunga cannot claim diplomatic immunity in the South African proceedings. As a private citizen and the son of a deceased former head of state, he is subject to the full force of South African law.
The case has drawn additional attention due to the history of his mother, Grace Mugabe, who fled South Africa in 2017 after being accused of assault. She currently has an outstanding arrest warrant in the country and cannot return to assist her son.
Reports from Johannesburg indicate that Mugabe fainted twice while in custody at Bramley Police Station over the weekend. Authorities stated the incidents were attended to and are believed to be related to a pre-existing medical condition.
Monday’s court appearance is expected to see Mugabe’s legal team make a formal bail application, which the state may oppose on grounds of flight risk—a concern amplified by his mother’s previous departure from the country while facing legal charges.
Chatunga and his brother, Robert Mugabe Junior—who has also faced arrest in Zimbabwe on drug and assault charges—have drawn repeated public scrutiny over lifestyles that contrast sharply with the austere image cultivated by their late father, who led Zimbabwe for 37 years until 2017.
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