The youngest son of Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert Mugabe, has returned to Zimbabwe after South African authorities deported him following a court order in Johannesburg.
Bellarmine Mugabe, aged 28, admitted to pointing a firearm and staying in the country without proper documents. Police arrested him earlier this month after a shooting incident at his home.
The court ordered him to pay a fine of $36,000 (£26,700). He settled the amount and then left South Africa.
His cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, faced the same case. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder, illegal immigration, possession of ammunition, and obstructing justice. The court sentenced him to three years in prison.
Police arrested both men on 19 February after responding to a report at Mugabe’s house in Hyde Park, a wealthy area in Johannesburg.
A 23-year-old man who worked at the residence suffered gunshot wounds and arrived at the hospital in critical condition.
Prosecutors said an argument broke out among the three men inside the house. They explained that the victim tried to escape but was shot twice in the back outside the building.
Investigators have not yet recovered the weapon used in the incident. Authorities initially charged Mugabe with attempted murder, but they dropped that charge after his cousin accepted responsibility.
The charge of pointing a firearm came from a separate case. Mugabe agreed to combine both matters in court, according to the National Prosecuting Authority.
During sentencing, the judge said the weapon involved was a toy gun. However, he added that it could easily make someone believe it was real.
Mugabe has faced several legal problems in recent years. In 2024, police arrested him in Beitbridge for allegedly attacking an officer. Although he received bail, the court later issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear.
In 2025, authorities arrested him again for allegedly assaulting a security guard at a mining site in Mazowe, near Harare. That case is still ongoing.
Bellarmine Mugabe is one of two sons born to Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace Mugabe.
