South Africa has deported the youngest son of late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe after a Johannesburg court ordered his removal following his guilty plea to firearm‑related charges and illegal stay.
Bellarmine Mugabe, 28, pleaded guilty earlier this month to pointing a firearm and contravening immigration laws after his arrest in February at his Johannesburg residence.
The case stemmed from a shooting incident in which a 23‑year‑old employee was critically injured.
Prosecutors told the court the victim was shot twice in the back while attempting to flee after an argument inside the property.
The firearm used in the attack has not been recovered.
Mugabe was initially charged with attempted murder but the charge was withdrawn after his cousin and co‑accused, Tobias Matonhodze, admitted to the offence.
Matonhodze pleaded guilty to attempted murder, illegal immigration, possession of ammunition and defeating the ends of justice, and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Mugabe was fined $36,000 before being permitted to leave South Africa.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the charge of pointing a gun related to a separate incident but was consolidated with the main case for sentencing.
The presiding judge noted that the weapon involved was a toy gun but said it was “likely to lead a person to believe it was a firearm.”
The deportation brings to a close Mugabe’s legal troubles in South Africa, where he had no prior convictions but had faced scrutiny over the violent episode at his home.
JN/APA