Mugabe cousins in court: Guilty pleas on separate offences in Hyde Park

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe has admitted guilt on two charges, while his co-accused and cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, has taken responsibility for the more serious offences.

The Witness reports that the pair appeared before the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Friday following their arrest in February after a shooting at Mugabe’s Hyde Park home in Johannesburg.

Mugabe, the son of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, pleaded guilty to pointing a firearm, a charge linked to a separate incident, and to contravening South Africa’s immigration laws.

Matonhodze pleaded guilty to five charges, including attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and contravening South Africa’s immigration laws.

The court heard that Sipho Mahlangu, an employee at the Mugabe residence, was shot twice in the back during the incident.

The firearm allegedly used in the shooting has still not been recovered by police.

The state requested a postponement to give the accused an opportunity to disclose the whereabouts of the missing weapon, as well as to present evidence proving that the victim has been compensated as part of the guilty plea arrangement.

The court further heard that the charge of pointing a firearm at Mugabe relates to a separate incident at Hyde Park Shopping Centre and that details of that offence are expected to be formally presented at the next court appearance.

Both accused have requested that the court impose a fine and that they be deported back to Zimbabwe as part of sentencing, instead of a custodial sentence in South Africa.

The matter was postponed to May 2.

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