Bellarmine Mugabe's lawyers deny reports hr is in South Africa

Lawyers representing Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the son of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, have dismissed social media claims that he was recently seen shopping in Midrand, South Africa, describing the reports as false and misleading.

In a statement issued on his behalf, the legal team said the circulating post was based on an old photograph that had been recirculated and falsely presented as a recent image.

"Our attention has been drawn to a social media post falsely suggesting that Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe was recently spotted shopping in Midrand, South Africa.

"The post is false and misleading. It relies on an old photograph of Mr Mugabe which has been recirculated and falsely presented as if it were recently taken."

The lawyers said Bellarmine Mugabe is not currently in South Africa.

"Mr Mugabe is not presently in the Republic of South Africa, and any suggestion that the photograph depicts a recent sighting is entirely incorrect."

They urged both the public and media organisations to verify information before sharing or publishing it.

"We urge members of the public and media to exercise caution before publishing or sharing unverified information, particularly where it creates a false impression of current events."

The statement was issued on behalf of Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe in response to the viral social media claims.