The youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former leader Robert Mugabe has admitted to firearm-related charges in South Africa, marking a major turn in a case that has drawn attention across the region. Bellarmine Mugabe pleaded guilty to pointing a firearm and being in the country illegally after a shooting incident at his Johannesburg home earlier this year.
The 28-year-old appeared before a court in Alexandra on Friday alongside his co-accused Tobias Matonhodze, following their arrest in February. The case stems from a violent altercation that left a 23-year-old man seriously injured.
According to court proceedings, Mugabe had initially faced an attempted murder charge, but the National Prosecuting Authority did not clarify what became of that count after he reached an agreement with prosecutors. During the hearing, he spoke only to confirm that he understood the charges and to formally enter his guilty pleas.
Matonhodze, aged 33, also admitted to multiple offences, including attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, illegal immigration, and possession of ammunition.
The two men were arrested on 19 February after police responded to reports of a shooting at Mugabe’s residence in the upmarket suburb of Hyde Park in Johannesburg. The victim, believed to be a security guard, was rushed to hospital in critical condition after sustaining gunshot wounds.
Prosecutors told the court that the incident followed a dispute between the three men inside the house. The confrontation escalated, and the victim was shot twice in the back as he tried to escape from the property.
Authorities later searched the residence but have not recovered the firearm used in the shooting.
Lawyers representing Mugabe and Matonhodze informed the court that their clients were willing to return to Zimbabwe at their own cost if they are not handed a jail term.
The matter has experienced several delays since the arrests, with Mugabe’s bail hearing postponed twice. Sentencing has now been set for 24 April, according to the prosecution.
This is not the first time Mugabe has been in trouble with the law. In 2024, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer in Beitbridge. Although he was released on bail, a warrant of arrest was later issued after he failed to attend court, as reported by a state-run newspaper.
In June the following year, he was again arrested over claims that he assaulted a security guard at a mining site in Mazowe, north of Harare. That case is still ongoing.
Bellarmine Mugabe is one of two sons the late former leader had with his second wife, Grace Mugabe. His father ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before being removed from power in a 2017 military takeover. He died in 2019.
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