South African court orders deportation of Mugabe’s son over shooting case

A South African court on Wednesday ordered the deportation of the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s former leader, Robert Mugabe, implicated in the shooting of a gardener after an altercation.

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe has been in custody since mid-February alongside his cousin and co-accused, Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, on attempted murder charges stemming from an incident at the family’s home in Johannesburg’s upscale Hyde Park district.

After a failed plea deal, Mugabe, 28, admitted to being in South Africa illegally and to pointing a toy gun in a separate incident, while Matonhodze, 32, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other charges.

The Alexandra Magistrates’ Court fined Mugabe 600,000 rand ($36,000) on two counts, or 24 months’ imprisonment in default.

It also ordered his immediate deportation, with police to escort him to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.

“Mr Mugabe, you can count yourself very lucky that the complainant in your case was not injured,” Magistrate Reiner Boshoff ruled, adding it was unclear whether Matonhodze had “taken the rap” for his cousin in the case involving the gardener.

Matonhodze received concurrent prison terms of up to three years, which the court described as “merciful,” citing, among other mitigating factors, that the complainant had been remunerated.

He will be deported after serving his sentence.

Investigators told the court the gardener had been paid 250,000 rand ($15,000) in cash, with a further 150,000 rand ($9,000) promised.

The firearm used in the shooting has not been recovered since the two were arrested on February 19.

Bellarmine is one of two sons that Robert Mugabe had with his second wife, Grace. The brothers have at times lived in Johannesburg, where they have gained a reputation for partying and living the high life.

Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for almost four decades until he was deposed in a coup in 2017. He died two years later, aged 95.

AFP