Son of Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe Deported from South Africa Over Toy Gun Incident
Al Jazeera Staff
Bellarmine Mugabe, youngest son of late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, was ordered deported from South Africa after pleading guilty to brandishing a toy gun as a real weapon and illegal residence. The Johannesburg court also fined him $36,000. His cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, was sentenced to three years in prison for attempted murder and other charges, and will be deported after serving his term. Judge Renier Boshoff noted the lenient sentences were due to the defendants' guilty pleas and lack of prior convictions.
A South African judge has ordered the immediate deportation of Bellarmine Mugabe, the youngest son of late Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, after he pleaded guilty to two charges earlier this month.
The Johannesburg court on Wednesday ordered Bellarmine Mugabe to pay a fine of $36,000 or face two years in prison for brandishing a toy gun in a manner that gave the impression it was a real firearm, along with a charge of illegal residence in the country.
Mugabe was arrested in February along with his cousin Tobias Matonhodze after a staff member at his home in the affluent Johannesburg suburb of Hyde Park was shot in the back. Initially, both were charged with attempted murder.
After a failed plea deal, Mugabe, 28, admitted to illegal residence in South Africa and to brandishing a toy gun in a separate incident. Meanwhile, Matonhodze, 32, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other charges.
Matonhodze, who received a three-year prison sentence, also confessed to illegal immigration, possession of ammunition, and obstruction of justice after police failed to recover the firearm. He will be deported to Zimbabwe upon completing his sentence.
Speaking during the trial, Judge Renier Boshoff said he did not know whether Matonhodze had 'taken the blame' for his cousin, but noted he could only rule based on the evidence presented. He also emphasized that the sentences were more lenient than usual due to both men pleading guilty and being first-time offenders.
Bellarmine Mugabe's father, Robert Mugabe, remains a highly controversial figure—praised by supporters as a liberation hero and condemned by critics as a tyrant. He was elected prime minister in 1980, leading Zimbabwe to independence and ending white minority rule. He held power for 37 years before being ousted in a 2017 military coup and died of cancer two years later. Robert Mugabe had four children, including one stepson. He had two sons with his second wife, Grace, among them Bellarmine.
