Late former President Robert Mugabe’s son Bellarmine Chatunga has pleaded guilty to lesser charges, including pointing a firearm and contravening immigration laws, after a proposed deportation deal with South African authorities collapsed.
The development comes after prosecutors rejected an offer by Mugabe’s legal team to have him plead guilty to immigration-related offences in exchange for a suspended sentence and immediate deportation to Zimbabwe.
The State insisted the matter proceed through the courts, citing the seriousness of the charges linked to an alleged shooting incident.
Mugabe is appearing alongside his co-accused, Tobias Matonhodze, at the Alexandra Regional Court in Johannesburg, where both face charges arising from a February incident in Hyde Park.
While Mugabe admitted to the lesser offences, Matonhodze pleaded guilty to more serious charges, including attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice and possession of ammunition.
The defence has requested non-custodial sentences for both accused persons, proposing fines and suspended sentences. Mugabe has also indicated willingness to cover the costs of his deportation.
But the State’s refusal to accept the plea arrangement means the case will continue in court, with attempted murder and related charges remaining central to proceedings.
The charges stem from an alleged shooting that left a 23-year-old gardener critically injured at a residence in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Authorities have also linked the case to the disappearance of the firearm allegedly used in the incident.
The pair had earlier abandoned a bail application at the Alexandra Magistrates Court to pursue plea negotiations under Section 105A of South Africa’s Criminal Procedure Act, a provision that allows accused persons and prosecutors to agree on a plea and sentence to avoid a full trial.
Both Mugabe and Matonhodze remain in custody as the matter proceeds through the South African judicial system.
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