'Mugabe son's security guard inflicted his own wounds'

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 28, the youngest son of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, has been arrested along with his bodyguard following a shooting at his upscale Hyde Park home in Johannesburg.

Gauteng police confirmed the arrests on Thursday, 19 February, after a 23-year-old man was shot on the property. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the victims were taken to hospital and that the investigation into the attempted murder remains ongoing.

According to sources close to the investigation, Bellarmine told police that the man he shot was his own security guard and that the guard inflicted the injuries on himself during a scuffle. The alleged conflict reportedly stemmed from traditional rituals performed by the guard on the property earlier in the week, which Bellarmine disapproved of.

"He told police that on Thursday morning, the security guard reported for duty armed, and they had a scuffle during which he shot himself and left the premises bleeding with his firearm," one source said.

Bellarmine further claimed that the guard may have arrived with accomplices, who allegedly removed the firearm while the guard was being rushed to the hospital. Police, however, were reportedly sceptical of the story, noting that the guard appeared to have been shot in the back. Searches of the property yielded multiple used ammunition cartridges of different calibres, but no firearms were recovered.

The Hyde Park property is reportedly home to 25–30 individuals loyal to the late Robert Mugabe, many of whom have fallen out with the current Zimbabwean government under President Emmerson Mnangagwa or fear for their safety.

The situation became more complex when another man came forward claiming that Bellarmine had previously pointed a firearm at him at The Zone mall in Rosebank. The man said he had video evidence and intended to open a case, though police and the Mugabe family were reportedly unconvinced of his claims.

The family has engaged a lawyer and several security consultants to assist Bellarmine, focusing on his bail application and preventing imprisonment. Bellarmine's mother, Grace Mugabe, currently in Singapore, is said to be concerned about her son's behaviour in South Africa and reportedly wants him back in Zimbabwe.

Grace Mugabe became a fugitive after an alleged 2017 assault on Bellarmine's girlfriend, Gabriella Engels, at a Sandton hotel. Although initially granted immunity from prosecution, a private application by AfriForum succeeded in overturning it, resulting in an outstanding arrest warrant against her.

Bellarmine and his bodyguard remain in custody at Bramley Police Station and are expected to appear at the Alexandra Magistrates' Court. Bellarmine's lawyer, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, said his priority is to secure his client's release and was awaiting further instructions from the family before responding to media inquiries.