‘I Told Them To Behave’: Grace Mugabe Furious At Son’s Arrest For Attempted Murder
Zimbabwe’s former First Lady is said to be absolutely furious after her youngest son, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, was arrested in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon and charged with the attempted murder of a gardener at his luxury Hyde Park residence.
The 28-year-old socialite and another unidentified man were taken into custody following the shooting of a 23-year-old employee, who remains in a critical condition in the hospital. Sources close to the family have revealed that Grace Mugabe’s patience has finally run out following her son’s latest brush with the law.
“She Has Been Speaking To Her Children, Telling Them To Behave”
The arrest marks yet another legal scandal for the Mugabe family, and insiders say the former First Lady is at her breaking point. A well-placed source with strong connections to the family shared details of her fury with SABC News.
“I spoke to someone who has a strong relationship with the Mugabe family. He indicated to me that the former first lady, Grace Mugabe, is very angry because she has been speaking to her children, telling them to behave. Because if you remember, the other son was arrested in Zimbabwe last year with dagga. And also, the very same son who is now arrested in South Africa, at some point in time, he made court appearances in Zimbabwe.”
The source’s revelations point to a troubling pattern of behaviour from the late former President Robert Mugabe’s children.
Chatunga’s older brother, Robert Mugabe Jnr, was fined US$300 (approximately R5,500) last year after admitting to possession of cannabis in Zimbabwe. The family is no stranger to South African controversy either—Grace Mugabe herself was accused of assaulting a model with an electrical cord at a luxury Johannesburg hotel in 2017, though she was later granted diplomatic immunity.
Police Search For Gun As Suspects Remain Silent
The upscale Hyde Park neighbourhood was transformed into a crime scene on Thursday as a multidisciplinary team of SAPS officers, including divers, forensic experts, and a K-9 unit, descended on Chatunga’s residence. While cartridges have been recovered from the property, the firearm used in the shooting remains missing.
SAPS spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that the two suspects have been officially charged and are proving uncooperative with the investigation.
“They have not told us where the gun is, they are not saying anything about the gun,” Colonel Nevhuhulwi told reporters at the scene. “We cannot definitely say who shot.”
Police reports indicate that Mugabe initially locked himself inside the house for two hours while officers negotiated with him and his friend. A black BMW fitted with white lights, similar to those used on VIP vehicles, was seized from the property as evidence. The vehicle is believed to have transported two men and a woman prior to the police’s arrival.
The victim, whose identity has not been released, remains in the hospital in a critical condition after sustaining gunshot wounds. While initial reports suggested a single shot, other sources indicate the man was struck twice.
Chatunga and his co-accused are expected to appear before the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court soon to face charges of attempted murder. The Mugabe family’s lawyer in Zimbabwe, Ashley Mugiya, has confirmed that local legal representatives will handle the case in South Africa.