A photo over the weekend allegedly shows the son of the late Zimbabwean Mugabe shopping at Waterfall Corner in Midrand.
Bellarmine Mugabe, the youngest son of the late former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. Picture: X/@ChatuBellamine
Claims that Bellarmine Mugabe has resurfaced in South Africa have been shot down by his lawyer, who insists a viral shopping‑mall photo is “misleading, recycled, and deliberately sensationalised.”
A photo which went viral on social media over the weekend allegedly shows the son of the late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe shopping at Waterfall Corner in Midrand.
Sentence
In April this year, Mugabe and his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, were given varying sentences in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Magistrate Renier Boshoff sentenced Mugabe to a R600 000 fine or 24 months’ imprisonment, while Matonhodze was sentenced to an effective three years’ imprisonment.
Mugabe was deported to Zimbabwe immediately, while Matonhodze is serving his sentence in South Africa.
Claims
While online posts suggested Mugabe was in South Africa, his lawyer, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, has rubbished claims that his client was recently spotted shopping in Midrand, insisting the viral image is recycled and misleading.
“We’ve taken instructions regarding the whereabouts of Mr Mugabe, and our instructions are clear. Mr Mugabe is currently not in South Africa,” said Mnguni in an interview with the SABC.
Whereabouts
Mnguni declined to disclose Mugabe’s current location
“I’m not at liberty to disclose where he is, but I can assure you that he’s not within the borders of the Republic of South Africa.
“My client has been banned from entering the Republic of South Africa for a period of five years because of the sentence he received. He certainly would not want to flout the laws or a court order that, in essence, bans him from entering the country. So no, he certainly hasn’t been back since late April.”
Photo
Mnguni did not disclose where the photo was taken
“I cannot give instructions on when the image was taken, but it certainly was not taken at any point during the course of this year.”
“Should the desire to enter South Africa arise, we will follow the proper legal channels. At this stage, it’s not something that has been communicated. As I stated earlier, there’s a five‑year period during which he cannot enter the Republic of South Africa, so it’s not even under consideration,” Mnguni said.
After the sentencing in April, Mugabe’s son publicly apologised to current Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zimbabweans for damaging his father’s name and the country’s reputation.
