The youngest son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has pleaded guilty to two separate charges.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with a shooting at their Hyde Park residence in February.
Firearm still missing
The pair were accused of attempted murder after an employee at their Johannesburg home sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound.
Mugabe pleaded guilty to contravening the Firearms Act by pointing a firearm at the victim, as well as the Immigration Act for being in South Africa illegally.
Tobias Matonhodze pleaded guilty to his attempted murder charge, as well as defeating the ends of justice, possession of an illegal firearm and contravention of the Immigration Act.
Mugabe’s defence counsel stated that he and Matonhodze had since compensated their victim and had offered further assistance.
In arguing for a light sentence, the defence counsel stated the pair could pay a further fine and accepted deportation, confirming their were willingness to purchase tickets to Zimbabwe as soon as released.
Mugabe and Matonhodze will return to court on 25 April, with the sentencing hinging on the pair disclosing the whereabouts of the missing weapon used in the shooting.
WATCH: Mugabe and Matonhodze’s defence council argues for a light sentence.
Hyde Park shooting
Mugabe and Matonhodze were first arrested on 19 February following the shooting of a 23-year-old man believed to be working as a gardener at the property.
Investigators have yet to find the weapon used in the shooting, with the pair being accused of hiding the firearm from authorities.
Police confirmed Mugabe collapsed twice during his first weekend in custody, with his mother Grace rumoured to be wiling to risk arrest in order to visit her son.
The pair abandoned their bail applications in mid-March after wanting to focus on a plea deal with the state.
