JOHANNESBURG — Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, son of the late former president Robert Mugabe, abandoned his bail application at a Johannesburg court on Wednesday as his legal team signalled they intend to negotiate a plea deal with prosecutors.
Mugabe, 28, and his cousin Tobias Tamirepi Matonhodze, 33, face charges of attempted murder, obstruction of justice, and illegal immigration, as well as a separate charge of pointing a firearm.
The attempted murder charge stems from a February 18 shooting in which Mugabe’s gardener was shot in the back at a Hyde Park residence. The firearm has not been recovered.
The two men had been expected to apply for bail, but their lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni said newly-added illegal immigration charges made it unlikely they would clear the flight risk threshold.
The pair will instead enter plea negotiations, with both expected to plead guilty to some or all charges in exchange for reduced sentences.
Under Section 105A of South Africa’s Criminal Procedure Act, the defence and prosecution must present the outcome of their negotiations – including proposed sentences – before a magistrate, who must assess the facts and confirm that any agreed sentence is just. That hearing is set for March 17.
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