Johannesburg – Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the 28-year-old son of the late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, will remain in custody after his bail application was postponed for the second time.
Mugabe and his co-accused, 33-year-old Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, appeared at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 5 March 2026.
The bail hearing was again delayed due to technical glitches and incomplete state documentation.
Mugabe has been detained since 20 February 2026, following a shooting incident at his family’s Hyde Park residence that left a 23-year-old gardener in critical condition.
The victim remains hospitalised with serious injuries.
Police recovered spent cartridges at the scene, but the firearm used in the attack has not been found, leading to additional charges of defeating the ends of justice against the pair.
The accused also face attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm counts, with a new immigration-related charge reportedly added amid scrutiny of Mugabe’s status in South Africa.
Defence lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni expressed frustration over the delays, telling reporters outside court: “There were quite a number of challenges today with regards to the proceedings.
“Firstly, there was a technical failure with the electricity, so we weren’t able to proceed.”
He added, “There are still some documents that the prosecution needs to provide us with before we proceed with the bail application on our clients’ behalf.
“We’ve been ready since last week Monday.
“The prosecution has said on record that they’ve experienced certain challenges with regards to obtaining certain documents, but we’re ready from our side to proceed once the state is ready.”
The matter was adjourned to Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
*Written with the assistance of the AI tool Grok on X
