Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the 29-year-old youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, appeared in South Africa court Monday facing attempted murder charges after a gardener was shot at his Hyde Park residence last week. Bellarmine and co-accused Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, 33, are also charged with defeating the ends of justice and unlawful possession of a firearm. Authorities have not yet recovered the weapon used in the incident, which left the gardener hospitalized following an “altercation” at the Johannesburg home.
The pair appeared in Alexandra Magistrates Court and are scheduled to return on March 3 for a formal bail application. Police have not confirmed a motive for the shooting. Bellarmine, son of Robert and Grace Mugabe, comes from a family known in Johannesburg for lavish parties and high-profile behavior. His older brother, Robert Mugabe Jr, faced drug possession charges in Harare in October. The Mugabe family issued a statement denying authorization for any spokesperson to represent them in the matter.
