The son of late former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, Bellarmine Mugabe has pleaded guilty in a South African court to pointing a firearm and to remaining in the country illegally as his high‑profile criminal case moves towards sentencing.
Bellarmine Mugabe and his co‑accused, cousin Tobias Matonhodze face charges stemming from a shooting at Mugabe’s Johannesburg residence on 19 February and an earlier incident the same month in which he allegedly pointed a firearm at someone else.
Appearing in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court at the weekend, Mugabe admitted to contravening the Immigration Act and to pointing a firearm.
Matonhodze pleaded guilty to more serious offences, including attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, obstructing justice and immigration violations.
In a statement read to the court by their lawyer, Matonhodze confessed to shooting one of Mugabe’s employees, Sipho Mahlangu, twice in the back in February and later concealing the weapon.
Police recovered two cartridges, but the firearm has not been found.
The defence argued for non‑custodial sentences, proposing fines and voluntary deportation to Zimbabwe.
Also,they told the court both men had no previous convictions in South Africa, ran farming businesses employing dozens of workers in Zimbabwe and had set aside funds for compensation.
The court postponed sentencing to allow further investigation into the missing firearm and the compensation claims.
Mugabe and Matonhodze are expected to return to court on 24 April.
AP