Bellarmine Mugabe, the son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, was deported from South Africa on April 29, 2026. He pleaded guilty to charges related to a toy gun and illegal immigration.
Mugabe faced two charges. He received a fine of R600,000 or a two-year prison sentence if he failed to pay. The incident occurred in 2023 when he brandished a toy gun.
On February 19, 2026, authorities arrested him alongside his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze. This arrest followed an incident where an employee at his home was shot. Matonhodze later received a three-year prison sentence for attempted murder.
The magistrate noted that both men were first-time offenders, which led to more lenient sentences. Magistrate Renier Boshoff remarked, “Mr Mugabe, you can count yourself very lucky that the complainant in your case was not injured.”
The firearm used in the shooting incident has not been recovered since their arrest. Compensation of R250,000 was paid to the injured employee, with an additional R150,000 promised.
Bellarmine Mugabe is currently 28 years old and has faced legal issues in Zimbabwe before this incident. His father ruled Zimbabwe for nearly 40 years before being ousted in a coup in 2017.
Following his guilty plea, authorities took Mugabe to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport for his deportation back to Zimbabwe.
