Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 28, had been held since mid-February alongside his cousin Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze following an attempted murder investigation linked to a shooting at the family’s residence in Johannesburg’s Hyde Park suburb, where a 23-year-old gardener was struck twice in the back during a confrontation, according to court records.

Under a plea arrangement, Mugabe admitted to pointing a firearm in a separate 2023 incident and to unlawful presence in South Africa. The court imposed fines of 400,000 rand or 24 months’ imprisonment for the firearm offence and 200,000 rand or 18 months for immigration violations, before ordering his immediate transfer to OR Tambo International Airport for deportation, a process overseen by police officers accompanying him from the courthouse.

Matonhodze, 33, was convicted on multiple charges including attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and defeating the ends of justice after investigators said the weapon used in the February shooting was never recovered. He received an effective three-year prison sentence and is expected to be deported after completing his term.

Magistrate Reiner Boshoff told the court: "I do not know whether the second accused took the rap for you, and I can only act on what is before me.” Investigating officer Raj Ramchunder told the hearing that the injured gardener, Sipho Mahlangu, had received 250,000 rand in compensation with a further 150,000 rand promised, underscoring financial settlements referenced during proceedings.

Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before being removed in a 2017 coup, died in 2019 aged 95. His family, including Bellarmine and his brother Robert Junior, has remained under public scrutiny due to legal disputes and a visible luxury lifestyle documented in regional media reports.

The ruling highlights South Africa’s enforcement approach toward immigration breaches and violent crime cases involving high-profile foreign nationals. 

Legal analysts note the combined deportation and sentencing outcomes reflect judicial reliance on plea agreements while balancing victim compensation and custodial punishment in cross-border criminal proceedings. Diplomat News Network notes the case has drawn attention in regional diplomatic and legal circles due to its political legacy dimension.