Bellarmine Mugabe Pleads Guilty in Johannesburg Court
The youngest son of Zimbabwe's late former president Robert Mugabe, Bellarmine Mugabe, has pleaded guilty to charges of pointing a firearm and illegal presence in South Africa.
The 28-year-old entered guilty pleas to both charges following his arrest in February, which came after a shooting incident involving a 23-year-old man at his residence in Johannesburg.
Mugabe has been held in custody along with co-accused Tobias Matonhodze, 33, and both appeared in court in Alexandra on Friday.
Legal representatives for the accused informed the court that the men are willing to return to Zimbabwe at their own expense if they are not sentenced to imprisonment.
Matonhodze pleaded guilty to multiple charges including attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, illegal immigration, and possession of ammunition.
Although Mugabe was previously charged with attempted murder, he only spoke to confirm his understanding of the charges and to enter his guilty pleas after reaching an agreement with prosecutors.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has not disclosed the status of the attempted murder charge against Mugabe.
Details of the Incident and Legal Proceedings
Both men were arrested on 19 February after police responded to a call at Mugabe's home in Hyde Park, an affluent suburb of Johannesburg.
A man, believed to be a security guard, was critically injured and hospitalized after being shot during the incident.
Prosecutors previously stated that the shooting occurred following a dispute among three men inside the property, with the victim being shot twice in the back outside as he attempted to flee.
Authorities conducted a search of the residence but have yet to recover the firearm used in the shooting.
Sentencing has been postponed until 24 April, according to the NPA.
The case has experienced multiple delays since Mugabe's arrest, including two postponements of his bail hearing.
Previous Legal Issues Involving Bellarmine Mugabe
This is not the first time Bellarmine Mugabe has encountered legal troubles.
In 2024, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer in Beitbridge, a border town in Zimbabwe.
He was granted bail, but a warrant was later issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court, as reported by Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper.
In June of the following year, he was again arrested for assaulting a security guard at a mining site in Mazowe, located about an hour north of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital. This case remains ongoing.
Background on Bellarmine Mugabe and His Family
Bellarmine Mugabe is one of two sons born to Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace Mugabe.
Robert Mugabe, who passed away in 2019, served as Zimbabwe's president for 37 years before being removed from power in a 2017 coup.
For more news from the African continent, visit BBCAfrica.com.
Follow updates on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, or on Instagram at bbcafrica.
