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Chatunga Mugabe arrested after shooting at Hyde Park residence, gardener critically wounded
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, youngest son of late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has been arrested following the shooting of a gardener at his Hyde Park residence, adding to a growing list of violent allegations against him.
Gauteng police took Mugabe, 28, and another 24-year-old suspect into custody this afternoon, Thursday after private security flagged down officers reporting gunfire at the property. The victim, a 23-year-old gardener employed at the residence, was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed investigators recovered a cartridge but were still searching for the firearm. The suspects initially refused to open the property to officers, requiring lengthy negotiations before police could enter.
Thursday’s arrest is far from Mugabe’s first encounter with law enforcement. He is reportedly linked to at least seven open criminal cases across South Africa and Zimbabwe, including allegations of assault, torture, and firearms offences.
In June 2024, Mugabe was accused of leading an armed group in an attack at the Ultimate Mining site in Zimbabwe bordering his mother Grace Mugabe’s private estate. Witnesses claimed he arrived with men wielding AK-47 rifles, accusing mine security of allowing illegal panners onto the family’s land. At least three workers sustained serious injuries including skull fractures and broken ribs.
He also faces charges alongside two bodyguards for attacking a school groundsman in June 2024, and allegedly assaulted a truck driver with a stun gun in September 2024 for failing to greet him “respectfully.”
Gauteng police continue their investigation, with the dog unit searching the Hyde Park property for the weapon. Mugabe and his companion remain in custody for questioning, and formal charges are expected once police complete preliminary inquiries.
This is a developing story.