Mugabe's son appears in South African court on attempted murder charge

2026-02-23 16:52:41

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JOHANNESBURG, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The youngest son of Zimbabwe’s former leader Robert Mugabe appeared in a South African court on Monday, charged with attempted murder after a gardener was shot and wounded last week at the Johannesburg mansion where Mugabe’s son had been staying.

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe was not asked to enter a plea. The case against him and a second suspect was postponed until March 3 to allow for further investigations.

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Bellarmine Mugabe, believed to be in his late 20s, will remain in custody until his next court appearance, the court heard.

Item 1 of 4 Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, son of late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, looks on during his court appearance on attempted murder charges, after a gardener was shot and injured last week at the Johannesburg mansion where Chatunga was staying, at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg, South Africa February 23, 2026. REUTERS/Oupa Nkosi

**[1/4]**Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, son of late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, looks on during his court appearance on attempted murder charges, after a gardener was shot and injured last week at the Johannesburg mansion where Chatunga was staying, at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in… Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more

Both men also face a charge of defeating the ends of justice, as police have yet to recover the gun allegedly used in the shooting.

A lawyer for Bellarmine Mugabe, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, declined to comment on his client’s position on the charges, saying he would respond to Reuters later.

The gardener remains in hospital following the shooting on Thursday, a police spokesperson said.

Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years after independence from Britain in 1980. He was ousted in a military coup in 2017 and died in 2019 at a hospital in Singapore, aged 95.

Reporting by Thando Hlophe and Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Alexander Winning and Ros Russell

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