JOHANNESBURG (Horn post)— Bellarmine Mugabe, the youngest son of late Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, has been ordered deported from South Africa after pleading guilty to firearms-related offenses and immigration violations, a court in Johannesburg ruled.
The 28-year-old admitted to pointing out what was believed to be a firearm and residing illegally in the country. The court ordered his immediate deportation and imposed a fine of $36,000.
Shooting Incident and Arrest
Mugabe was arrested on Feb. 19 after police responded to a shooting at his residence in the affluent Hyde Park suburb of Johannesburg. A 23-year-old man, reportedly an employee at the property, was critically injured after being shot and taken to hospital.
Prosecutors said the shooting followed an argument inside the house, with the victim shot twice in the back while attempting to flee. Authorities have not recovered the weapons used in the incident.
Although Mugabe was initially charged with attempted murder, that charge was later dropped after his co-accused took responsibility.
Co-Accused Sentenced to Prison
Mugabe’s cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, illegal immigration, possession of ammunition and defeating the ends of justice. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
The National Prosecuting Authority said Mugabe’s firearms charge was linked to a separate incident but was heard together with the shooting case.
Court Findings and Legal History
In delivering the ruling, the judge noted that the weapon involved in the firearms offense was a toy gun but said it was “likely to lead a person to believe it was a firearm.”
Mugabe has faced multiple legal issues in recent years. In 2024, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer in the border town of Beitbridge, before failing to appear in court. In a separate case, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a security guard at a mining site in Mazowe, north of Harare, with proceedings still ongoing.
Bellarmine Mugabe is one of two sons of Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace Mugabe.
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Horn post staff
