Bellarmine Mugabe, the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, has been charged with attempted murder following a brief court appearance in South Africa.
The 28-year-old was arrested last week after a 23-year-old man was shot and seriously injured at a residence in the upscale Hyde Park suburb of Johannesburg. Mugabe was taken into custody alongside his bodyguard, Tobias Tamirepi Matonhodze, 33. Neither has publicly commented on the charges.
During the court proceedings, Mugabe, dressed in black, appeared calm.
According to prosecutors, an altercation broke out between the victim and the accused inside Mugabe’s home. The victim was allegedly shot in the back while attempting to flee and collapsed outside the property’s gate, which was then reportedly closed. He remains in hospital in critical condition.
Police said they recovered spent bullet cartridges from the Hyde Park property but have yet to locate the firearm used in the shooting.
In addition to attempted murder, Mugabe and Matonhodze face charges of defeating the ends of justice, linked to the missing weapon, the National Prosecuting Authority said.
Outside court, Mugabe’s lawyer, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, told reporters his client was “fine” and remains in custody.
The case has been postponed until 3 March, when the court is expected to hear a bail application.
Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before being removed from office in 2017, died in 2019. Bellarmine is his youngest child with his second wife, Grace Mugabe.
