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In a significant legal development, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of the late Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, is set to be deported from South Africa after being fined for immigration and firearms violations. The decisions come on the heels of a shocking incident at the Mugabe family residence, where an employee was shot, prompting legal scrutiny of the family.
Court Proceedings and Charges
The Johannesburg court’s ruling, delivered on 29 April 2026, follows an incident on 19 February, during which an employee named Sipho Mahlangu was shot in the back at the Mugabe family home in a prosperous area of the city. Initially, both Bellarmine and his cousin, Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, faced charges of attempted murder related to this incident. However, Matonhodze accepted a plea bargain earlier this month, admitting to attempted murder, firearms charges, and violating immigration laws. He received a three-year prison sentence for his admissions.
In a separate but serious matter, Bellarmine was fined 400,000 rand (£17,851) for brandishing a toy gun in a manner that could have been interpreted as threatening. Additionally, he was penalised with a fine of 200,000 rand (£8,919.50) for breaching immigration regulations, both of which he acknowledged in court. Following the judge’s orders, he is to be escorted to Johannesburg International Airport for immediate deportation to Zimbabwe.