South African legal expert Melusi Xulu has praised the lawyers who represented Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and his co-accused, Tobias Tamirepi Mugabe Matonhodze, after they received lighter sentences despite facing serious charges.
Mugabe and Matonhodze were arrested on 19 February 2026 following the shooting of Sipho Mahlangu, a gardener at the Mugabe family’s residence in Hyde Park, an affluent suburb in Johannesburg.
Chatunga pleaded guilty to contravening the Firearms Control Act and the Immigration Act, but avoided a prison term. On Wednesday, 29 April 2026, Magistrate Renier Boshoff imposed a fine of R600,000, with an alternative of 24 months’ imprisonment.
The fine was made up of R400,000, or 24 months in prison, for pointing what was found to be a toy gun, and a further R200,000, or 18 months, for breaching immigration laws.
Matonhodze pleaded guilty to attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, and firearm-related offences. He received an effective three-year prison sentence.
His sentence included 12 months for attempted murder, 12 months for defeating or obstructing the course of justice, three years for unlawful possession of a firearm, and 12 months for unlawful possession of ammunition. The sentences will run concurrently.
Mugabe returned to Zimbabwe after being deported from South Africa last Wednesday, while his cousin, Matonhodze, began serving his sentence last Thursday.
Speaking to SABC News, Xulu commended the lawyers for the two men, including Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, for how they handled the case.
“My view is, firstly, when you are faced with the crime, you will not give everything out to the state. You’ll kind of protect yourself,” opined Xulu.
“And I think they felt that by giving them everything, if the firearm existed and they ‘hid’ it, they would have given the state more ammunition to attack them.
“Then the magistrate decided based on the evidence that was in front of him.”
Xulu said that if someone is found guilty of possession of an unlicensed firearm, they can be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years.
“I believe the plea deal played a role in terms of making sure that whatever issues, like a firearm that is not found, are addressed.
“At least they’ve got control of how they could drive a narrative and the sentence for the accused.
“So I think the legal team played a very good role in making sure that this matter is finalised faster on their own terms.
“Unfortunately for Tobias, he has to be inside, but it’s also less than what he could have got in another case, if it were another person.”
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