Trouble mounts for Chatunga Mugabe

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe is expected to face additional charges when he appears in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court on Monday, as police continue searching for the firearm allegedly used in a shooting at a Hyde Park residence.

Sources familiar with the investigation told IOL that prosecutors intend to add further charges, including defeating the ends of justice and pointing a firearm. The potential defeating the ends of justice charge stems from the fact that the firearm believed to have been used in the attempted murder has not yet been recovered.

Police have not officially confirmed whether the additional charges will be formally added when the matter is called in court.

Last week, South African Police Service spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi told journalists in Johannesburg that the circumstances surrounding the shooting were still "a bit sketchy", with officers conducting preliminary investigations at the scene.

Nevhuhulwi confirmed that several police units, including the K9 unit, were deployed to search the Hyde Park property for the missing firearm. She added that cartridges were recovered at the scene and would form part of the ongoing investigation.

Chatunga, 28, the youngest son of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, was arrested alongside another man after a 23-year-old employee at the residence was shot and left in critical condition.

Both suspects were initially charged with attempted murder. The firearm allegedly used in the incident has still not been located.

Further clarity on the additional charges and the direction of the investigation is expected when the matter returns to court on Monday.