Johannesburg – The youngest son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, has pleaded guilty to two charges following a shooting at his Hyde Park residence in Johannesburg in February.
Mugabe and his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where both entered guilty pleas on a string of charges.
Mugabe pleaded guilty to contravening the Firearms Act by pointing a firearm at the victim, as well as 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.
The pair were originally accused of attempted murder after an employee at their Johannesburg home sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound on 19 February. The victim, a 23-year-old man believed to have been working as a gardener at the property, survived the shooting.
Mugabe’s defence counsel told the court that both he and Matonhodze had since compensated the victim and offered further assistance. Arguing for a lighter sentence, the defence counsel said the pair could pay a further fine and had accepted the possibility of deportation, confirming their willingness to purchase tickets to Zimbabwe as soon as they are released.
The two will return to court on 25 April, with sentencing depending on whether they disclose the whereabouts of the firearm used in the shooting, which investigators have yet to recover. The pair have been accused of hiding the weapon from authorities.
Mugabe and Matonhodze were arrested on 19 February and abandoned their bail applications in mid-March, choosing instead to focus on reaching a plea deal with the state.
Police previously confirmed that Mugabe collapsed twice during his first weekend in custody. His mother, Grace Mugabe, was rumoured to be willing to risk arrest in order to visit her son.
