The youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, Bellarmine Mugabe, 28, has been formally charged with attempted murder following a shooting in an upmarket suburb of Johannesburg, South African authorities said.
Mugabe and his bodyguard, Tobias Tamirepi Matonhodze, 33, appeared in court on Monday. Both men face additional charges, including defeating the ends of justice, related to a missing firearm, prosecutors said.
The charges follow the shooting of a 23-year-old man at a private residence in Hyde Park last Thursday. The victim was reportedly shot in the back while attempting to flee and remains in critical condition in hospital, the National Prosecuting Authority said.
Police recovered bullet cartridges at the property but no firearm. Mugabe appeared calm in court and has not publicly commented on the charges.
The case was adjourned to March 3, when a bail application is expected. Bellarmine Mugabe is the youngest son of Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace Mugabe. Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe for 37 years before his removal from power in 2017 and died in 2019.
Source: BBC News