Robert Mugabe’s son may be charged with attempted murder in shooting of staff in South Africa

On Thursday, February 19, 2026, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of the late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, was arrested following a violent shooting incident at his residence in the affluent Hyde Park suburb of Johannesburg. South African police were called to the scene after neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 23-year-old man, identified as a gardener employed at the property, suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, where he remains under intensive medical care.

The arrest was marked by a tense two-hour standoff, during which Mugabe and a 33-year-old male associate allegedly locked themselves inside the house and refused to cooperate with authorities. It was only after a period of negotiation that the two men were taken into custody. While police recovered spent cartridges at the scene, the firearm used in the shooting was not immediately found, prompting a massive search of the property. This operation involved a multidisciplinary team, including the K-9 unit and SAPS divers who were tasked with searching the property’s swimming pool for the missing weapon.

While a definitive motive has not been established, preliminary police reports suggest the shooting followed a heated “altercation” or dispute, possibly regarding the gardener’s work attendance. Both Mugabe and his co-accused now face charges of attempted murder and are expected to appear before the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court. This incident adds to a series of legal controversies for the Mugabe family in South Africa, most notably a 2017 case where his mother, Grace Mugabe, was accused of assaulting a model in Sandton but was initially granted diplomatic immunity—a protection experts say will not apply to Chatunga in this criminal proceeding