By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, has abandoned his bid for bail.
Mugabe and co-accused Tobias Matondze, appeared in court on Wednesday for a bail hearing.
They have been charged with contravening the Immigration Act, which allows Zimbabweans to stay in the country without a visa for up to 90 days.
They have also been charged with pointing a firearm, possession of a firearm, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice in connection with the shooting of an employee at Mugabe’s Hyde Park residence on 19 February 2026.
During the proceedings, His lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni told the court that his client has abandoned his request for bail and agreed to plea negotiations with the State.
Mnguni told the court that it was “premature to say… whether we will plead guilty to anything at this stage”.
Mnguni said their illegal status in the country complicates the case.
“We, of course, don’t want to waste the court’s time and we understand the processes involved in applying for bail. One of the key considerations is proving that an accused is not a flight risk. At this point, we want to deal with the matter and its merits.”
NPA Gauteng spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole confirmed Mugabe and Matonhodze had entered into plea negotiations, but did not elaborate on the possible deal.
The matter has now been transferred to a trial court, where details of any potential plea negotiations are expected to become clearer next Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
His father led Zimbabwe for 37 years before being forced out of power at the age of 93 in 2017. He died two years later.
Bellarmine and his older brother Robert Jr have made headlines over the years for their flashy lifestyles in the face of rising poverty in Zimbabwe.
In 2017, a few weeks before the coup in which his father was ousted, he posted a picture of a $60,000 watch he was wearing on Instagram.
A few months earlier, the brothers were reportedly kicked out of a luxury apartment block in the affluent Johannesburg suburb of Sandton after complaints about the noise they were making.
There have been also several brushes with the law more recently.
In 2024 he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer in the Zimbabwean border town of Beitbridge.
A year later in June, he was again arrested for assaulting a security guard at a mining site in Mazowe, an hour’s drive north of the capital, Harare. He was bailed and the case has not yet concluded.