By Durell Namasani
In a notable turn at a Johannesburg court, Bellarmine Mugabe—the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe—has escaped an attempted murder charge after his co-accused confessed to shooting a 23-year-old man. Instead, Mugabe pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of pointing a firearm and being in South Africa illegally.
The 28-year-old was arrested in February following a shooting at his upmarket Hyde Park home. Initially charged with attempted murder alongside Tobias Matonhodze, 33, Mugabe saw that count dropped after Matonhodze admitted to pulling the trigger. The victim, believed to be a security guard, was shot twice in the back as he tried to flee the property and was hospitalized in critical condition.
Appearing in the Alexandra court on Friday, Mugabe spoke only to confirm his understanding of the charges and enter his pleas. The firearm used in the shooting has not been found, according to prosecutors.
Matonhodze, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, obstruction of justice, illegal immigration, and possession of ammunition. Both men remain in custody. Their lawyers have offered to voluntarily return to Zimbabwe at their own expense if they are spared custodial sentences.
A separate charge against Mugabe—pointing a gun in an unrelated incident—was heard concurrently at his request. Sentencing has been postponed until April 24.
This is not Mugabe’s first legal trouble. In 2024, he allegedly assaulted a police officer in Zimbabwe and later failed to appear in court. Months ago, he was also arrested for assaulting a security guard at a mining site north of Harare; that case remains pending.
Bellarmine is one of two sons of Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace. The former Zimbabwean leader died in 2019 after 37 years in power, ousted by a coup in 2017.
