ALEXANDRA, South Africa — The youngest son of Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe has pleaded guilty to firearm and immigration-related offences in South Africa, following a shooting incident earlier this year.
Bellarmine Mugabe, 28, admitted to pointing a firearm and being in South Africa illegally after his arrest in February. The charges relate to an incident in which a 23-year-old man was shot at a residence in Johannesburg.
Mugabe appeared before a court in Alexandra alongside co-accused Tobias Matonhodze, 33, who pleaded guilty to attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, illegal immigration, and possession of ammunition.
Lawyers representing the two men told the court they were willing to return to Zimbabwe at their own expense if they are not handed custodial sentences.
Mugabe, who had initially faced an attempted murder charge, spoke only to confirm his understanding of the charges and to enter his pleas.
A spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that the attempted murder charge against Mugabe was dropped after Matonhodze admitted responsibility for firing the weapon.
The two men were arrested on February 19 after police were called to Mugabe’s home in the upmarket suburb of Hyde Park.
A man, believed to be a security guard, was shot and taken to hospital in critical condition.
Prosecutors told the court the shooting followed an altercation inside the property, with the victim reportedly shot twice in the back while attempting to flee.
Authorities have yet to recover the firearm used in the incident.
Sentencing has been scheduled for April 24, according to prosecutors.
The case has experienced multiple delays since Mugabe’s arrest, including the postponement of his bail hearing.
This is not the first time Mugabe has faced legal trouble. In 2024, he was arrested in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, for allegedly assaulting a police officer, before failing to appear in court, leading to a warrant for his arrest.
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In June 2025, he was again arrested over an alleged assault involving a security guard at a mining site in Mazowe, a case that remains ongoing.
Bellarmine Mugabe is one of two sons Robert Mugabe had with his second wife, Grace Mugabe.
The former president, who ruled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades, was removed from power in a 2017 military intervention after 37 years in office, marking a significant turning point in the country’s political history.
Analysts say the case has drawn attention due to Mugabe’s political lineage, though legal proceedings are being handled under South Africa’s standard judicial processes.
