By Lebone Rodah Mosima
Bellarmine Mugabe, the son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, was sentenced in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to two fine-or-jail sentences and ordered deported after pleading guilty to pointing a firearm and contravening the Immigration Act.
Mugabe was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment or a R400,000 fine for pointing a firearm, and 18 months’ imprisonment or a R200,000 fine for contravening the Act.
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His co-accused, Tobias Tamirepi Matonhodze, was sentenced to an effective three years’ direct imprisonment for attempted murder after admitting to shooting a complainant during an altercation at Mugabe’s Hyde Park residence in Johannesburg.
The sentences followed guilty pleas entered by both accused on 17 April.
Mugabe pleaded guilty to contravening the Immigration Act and to pointing a firearm in a separate incident in Hyde Park. Matonhodze admitted in his plea statement to shooting the complainant, with forensic evidence confirming the presence of gunshot residue on his hands.
The charges arose from an incident on 19 February at Mugabe’s residence in Hyde Park. According to the NPA, an altercation broke out between the accused and a security guard/gardener. The complainant was assaulted and subsequently shot in the back while attempting to flee.
He collapsed outside the gate and was later discovered by a neighbouring security guard, who alerted police.
In aggravation of sentence, Regional Court Prosecutor Godfrey Maphiri argued that the accused had demonstrated a blatant disregard for South African law, including remaining unlawfully in the country for a prolonged period while engaging in serious criminal conduct.
The court agreed with the state’s submissions and sentenced Mugabe to 24 months’ imprisonment or the R400,000 fine.
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The magistrate said that the count involved “pointing of anything which is likely to lead a person to believe it is a firearm”.
Mugabe was also sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment or a R200,000 fine for contravening the Immigration Act. The court further ordered that he be deported.
“The accused will be escorted by the Investigation Officer/Immigration officer to the OR Tambo airport who will oversee his department,” the magistrate said.
Matonhodze was sentenced to an effective three years’ direct imprisonment for attempted murder. The court also ordered that he be deported once he has served his sentence.
“The court orders that all the sentences be served concurrently. It is further ordered that the accused be deported once the sentence is served,” the magistrate said.
The NPA said the sentence sent a clear message that violent criminal conduct and disregard for South African law would attract firm consequences.
Defence lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni said the defence was satisfied with the outcome.
“Ultimately, we are happy with the outcome as legal representatives, and I think the court arrived at a fair sentence with regards to the accused,” Mnguni said.
