Chatunga Mugabe Deported From South Africa

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, son of former President Robert Mugabe, returned to Zimbabwe on Wednesday night following his deportation from South Africa, where he had been fined R600,000 by a Johannesburg court.

He arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport shortly before 9 pm.

Earlier in the day, Mugabe and his cousin, Tobias Tamirepi Mugabe Matonhodze, appeared before the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court, where the matter was finalised.

Mugabe, who had pleaded guilty to contraventions of South Africa’s Firearms Control Act and Immigration Act, was fined R400,000 or 24 months’ imprisonment for pointing what was determined to be a toy firearm in a separate incident, and a further R200,000 or 18 months for being in the country unlawfully.

He paid the full R600,000 fine and was escorted directly from court to OR Tambo International Airport for immediate deportation.

In passing sentence, Magistrate Renier Boshoff remarked that Mugabe had been “fortunate” that the complainant had not sustained injuries.

His co-accused, Matonhodze, was handed an effective three-year term of imprisonment after pleading guilty to attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as immigration violations.

Although he received multiple sentences, 12 months for attempted murder, 12 months for defeating the ends of justice, three years for firearm possession, and 12 months for ammunition possession, these will run concurrently, resulting in an effective three-year sentence. He is expected to be deported to Zimbabwe upon completion of his term.

The court described the sentence as “merciful”, due to his status as a first-time offender, his guilty plea, and the fact that the victim had already received R250,000 in compensation, with a further R150,000 still outstanding.

The case stems from a February 2026 shooting at the Mugabe family’s Hyde Park residence, in which gardener Sipho Mahlangu was shot twice in the back. The firearm used in the incident has not been recovered.

Mugabe and Matonhodze were represented by a legal team that included Advocates Laurance Hodes, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, and Mike Hellens SC.