The youngest son of Zimbabwe’s deceased longtime ruler Robert Mugabe made his first court appearance Monday in South Africa, where he’s charged with attempted murder following a shooting incident at his residence.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, age 29, stood before an Alexandra Magistrates Court judge alongside co-defendant Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, 33. Both men are charged with attempted murder, obstructing justice, and illegal firearm possession.
The charges stem from a Thursday shooting at the Mugabe residence located in Hyde Park, an upscale Johannesburg neighborhood. A household employee working as a gardener was wounded in the incident and required hospitalization.
Authorities report that following what they describe as an “altercation,” the gardener was shot, though investigators have not determined what sparked the confrontation.
Both defendants were taken into custody Thursday, but law enforcement officials say they have been unable to locate the weapon believed used in the shooting.
The pair will return to court March 3rd to request bail.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe is the child of Robert Mugabe and Grace Mugabe, the former president’s second spouse.
Robert Mugabe controlled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades until military forces removed him from power in 2017. The former dictator passed away in Singapore in 2019 at 95 years old.
