馃嚳馃嚘South AfricaSouthern Africa
Bellarmine Mugabe and cousin plead guilty to multiple charges
via The Citizen1 min read
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, and his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, pleaded guilty to several charges in the Alexandra Magistrate鈥檚 Court. The charges stem from a February shooting at their Hyde Park residence in Johannesburg, where an employee sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound. Mugabe admitted to contravening the Firearms Act by pointing a firearm at the victim and the Immigration Act for being in South Africa illegally. Matonhodze pleaded guilty to attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, possession of an illegal firearm, and contravening the Immigration Act. Their defense counsel stated that the pair have compensated the victim and offered further assistance, arguing for a light sentence that could include a fine and deportation. They expressed willingness to purchase tickets to Zimbabwe upon release. Mugabe and Matonhodze are scheduled to return to court on April 25 for sentencing. They were initially arrested on February 19, and police confirmed Mugabe collapsed twice during his initial custody. The pair abandoned their bail applications in mid-March to pursue a plea deal.
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