By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A Magistrate Court in Alexandra, South Africa on Wednesday ordered the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe to pay a large fine in addition to order for his deportation for pointing a toy gun at someone and breaking immigration rules.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, believed to be in his late 20s, and another man were in January arrested after a worker was shot and wounded at a mansion in Johannesburg where Mugabe lived.
The two suspects have been in custody since their arrest. They pleaded guilty as part of negotiations with prosecutors.
It is not clear how Bellarmine Mugabe is residing in South Africa illegally, thereby breaking the country’s immigration rule. He pleaded guilty to pointing a toy gun, which is a different incident from the one in which the worker was shot.
He was given a 400,000 rand ($24,100) fine for pointing the toy gun and a 200,000 rand fine for violating immigration rules.
His co-accused Tobias Matonhodze pleaded guilty to attempted murder of the worker along with other charges like defeating the ends of justice.
Matonhodze was sentenced to three years in prison, after which he will be deported.
The investigator told the court last week that the worker who was shot twice in the back received a compensation settlement of 250,000 rand, with a further payment of 150,000 rand to come.
The firearm used in the shooting is yet to be recovered.
