More nights in jail: Chatunga Mugabe and Tobias Matonhodze Mugabe remanded behind bars

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze will remain in custody after appearing in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on charges stemming from last week’s Hyde Park shooting.

The pair face charges of attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The matter was postponed to March 3, with both accused remanded in custody.

The charges arise from an incident in which a 23-year-old employee at a Hyde Park residence was shot and left in a critical condition.

Missing firearm central to case

As previously reported by IOL, Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that a cartridge was recovered at the scene. However, despite searches conducted by K9 units and forensic teams, the firearm allegedly used in the shooting has not been found.

The missing weapon forms a central part of the State’s case and is understood to underpin the charge of defeating the ends of justice.

Police earlier described the circumstances surrounding the shooting as “a bit sketchy” while investigations were still in their preliminary stages.

Lawyer’s remarks

Ahead of the court appearance, Mugabe’s lawyer Jason Saus told SABC News: “I do confirm that my client is in high spirits, we visited him several times this weekend. We are still taking further instructions and at this point we do not have any further comment. We do not have a choice, we have to do what we need to do. We do not want to compromise the investigations.”

Saus had also indicated prior to proceedings that the defence had not been formally notified of the defeating the ends of justice charge.

Broader context

Chatunga, 28, is the youngest son of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.

As previously reported by IOL, his legal troubles extend beyond South Africa. In 2025, he was arrested in Zimbabwe following a violent confrontation at a gold mining concession in Mazowe and was later granted bail on assault-related charges. That matter remains unresolved.

The Hyde Park case has also revived memories of Grace Mugabe’s 2017 legal controversy in South Africa, when she was accused of assaulting South African model Gabriella Engels. The matter escalated into a diplomatic dispute after then Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane granted her diplomatic immunity, a decision later overturned by the High Court.

Proceedings will resume on the postponed date.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

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