Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, has been arrested in South Africa on suspicion of attempted murder following a shooting incident at a property in Johannesburg…reports Asian Lite News
The arrest took place on Thursday when Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and another man were detained by South African police following a shooting at a residence in a residential suburb of Johannesburg. According to Ashley Mugiya, a lawyer representing the Mugabe family, both men were taken in for questioning and subsequently placed under arrest. South African police confirmed that both suspects now face charges of attempted murder.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe is the youngest son of Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace Mugabe. Robert Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe for 37 years before being deposed in a military coup in 2017, died in Singapore in 2019 at the age of 95.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that the shooting occurred at the younger Mugabe’s home in an affluent Johannesburg suburb. Officers arrived at the property to find Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe in handcuffs in the driveway.
An employee at the house, identified by police as the gardener, sustained a single gunshot wound and was reported to be in a critical condition. South African police did not disclose the total number of shots fired during the incident.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi addressed reporters at the scene, indicating that the two suspects had not been cooperative with authorities. “They have not told us where the gun is,” Nevhuhulwi said. “We cannot definitely say who shot.”
Police identified the circumstances surrounding the shooting as an “altercation” but stated that the motive remained unclear at the time of their statement. South African police typically do not name suspects until they have appeared in court and been formally charged.
Ashley Mugiya confirmed that legal representation in South Africa would be arranged for Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe as proceedings continue.
The Mugabe family has faced multiple criminal investigations in recent years. Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe’s older brother, Robert Mugabe Jr., was fined $300 last year after admitting to possession of marijuana in Zimbabwe.
Grace Mugabe, the boys’ mother, was accused in 2017 of assaulting a model by beating her with an electrical cord at a luxury Johannesburg hotel in the presence of her sons. At the time, she was serving as Zimbabwe’s first lady. Although she was initially ordered to appear in court, she was subsequently granted diplomatic immunity.
