JOHANNESBURG – The ghost of Robert Mugabe’s legacy continues to haunt the headlines as his youngest son, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, faces life-altering charges in South Africa. For years, the Mugabe heirs were synonymous with the ultimate excess of Africa’s political elite—spraying expensive champagne over diamond-encrusted watches and flaunting a lifestyle that the average Zimbabwean could only dream of.
But on a fateful night last week, the music stopped. The “Night of Terror” at the family’s prestigious Hyde Park home has not only landed the former president’s son in a prison cell but has also unmasked a startling reality: the man who once lived as royalty is, in the eyes of the law, nothing more than an illegal migrant.
This dramatic turn of events began on the evening of Thursday, 19 February 2026. In the quiet, leafy suburb of Hyde Park—a sanctuary for Johannesburg’s wealthiest residents, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa—the silence was shattered by gunfire. A 23-year-old gardener, an employee at the Mugabe residence, was shot in the back. The scene that unfolded was less a domestic dispute and more a calculated act of cruelty. According to state prosecutors, as the victim, Sipho Mahlangu, attempted to flee for his life, he collapsed near the gate. It was then that one of the accused allegedly approached the fallen man, not to offer aid, but to snatch the gate remote from his hands, effectively trapping him within the perimeter of the property.
The charges laid against them are a grim catalogue of criminality: attempted murder, obstruction of justice, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and theft. However, it was the final charge—a contravention of the Immigration Act, specifically relating to his status as an illegal immigrant—that left the public utterly stunned.
The question on many lips is how the son of a former Head of State, a man whose family has owned properties across South Africa for decades, could find himself without valid residency papers. The answer lies in the increasingly precarious status of the Mugabe family in South Africa. Despite Grace Mugabe, Bellarmine’s mother, being born in Benoni, the South African government has consistently denied her claims to citizenship.
For Chatunga, who has called South Africa home for years, the expiration of his residency status or the failure to secure proper documentation has rendered him an “undocumented foreigner.” In a country currently gripped by intense debates over illegal immigration, the irony of a Mugabe being charged as an illegal migrant has not been lost on the public, sparking considerable discussion amongst the Zimbabwean diaspora.
The investigation into the shooting remains shrouded in mystery, with several key elements yet to be clarified. A state prosecutor revealed during the brief court hearing that the firearm allegedly used to shoot the gardener in the back has not yet been found. “The gun allegedly used in the shooting had not yet been found,” the prosecutor stated, adding that “investigations were far from over.” This “missing firearm” has fuelled a wave of conspiracy theories circulating amongst the Zimbabwean diaspora. Was this a simple domestic dispute gone wrong, or is there a darker story involving the family’s private security detail? Some suggest that Matonhodze, whose relationship to the Mugabe family remains unclear—their lawyer, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, declined to comment on whether the two men are related—might be a key figure in the family’s shadowy security apparatus, raising questions about the true nature of the events that transpired.
The psychological and social descent of the Mugabe heirs is a story of tragic proportions, a stark contrast to their earlier years of ostentatious display. In 2017, Chatunga famously posted a photograph of his watch on Instagram with the caption: “$60,000 on the wrist when your daddy run the whole country ya know!!!” Shortly after, a video went viral showing him dousing that very watch with bottles of Ace of Spades champagne. That era of untouchable arrogance has been systematically dismantled. His older brother, Robert Junior, was arrested in 2023 for allegedly causing £10,000 of damage to cars at a party in Harare, and only last year was fined for possessing cannabis after being caught driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Their mother, Grace “Gucci” Grace Mugabe, famously avoided a court case in 2017 by invoking diplomatic immunity after allegedly hitting model Gabriella Engels with an electric cable. But this time, there is no diplomatic immunity to save Bellarmine, highlighting the family’s diminishing protection.
The timeline of that “Night of Terror” provides a documentary-like look at the events that led to the current legal predicament:
- Thursday, 19 February 2026: Gunfire erupts at the Mugabe residence in Hyde Park. A 23-year-old gardener is shot in the back.
- Immediate Aftermath: The victim attempts to flee but collapses. One of the accused allegedly steals his gate remote, a chilling act that suggests an attempt to prevent escape or the entry of help.
- Police Response: Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirms the victim is rushed to hospital, where he remains under police guard for his own safety and as a key witness.
- Arrest: Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze are taken into custody after a brief investigation at the scene, marking the beginning of their legal ordeal.
- Monday, 23 February 2026: The pair make their first appearance at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court. The court hears that the weapon is missing and that Bellarmine Mugabe’s immigration status is confirmed as illegal.
- 3 March 2026: The case is postponed for a formal bail application, with both suspects remaining in custody, awaiting the next stage of the legal process.
For the Zimbabwean diaspora, the case is a potent symbol of the final collapse of the Mugabe dynasty’s influence and privilege. “Foreigners shouldn’t be allowed to own guns and illegal immigrants should be sentenced to death,” one commentator wrote on social media, reflecting the hardening attitudes in South Africa towards undocumented individuals and those perceived to be abusing their status. The fact that the victim was a worker—a man allegedly shot in the back by the very people who employed him—has added a significant layer of class-based resentment to the scandal. Many are openly questioning how the family continues to maintain such a lavish lifestyle in Hyde Park while the country they once ruled lies in economic ruin, a stark reminder of the disparities that persist.
The Mugabe family’s remaining influence is fading fast. Without the protection of the state or the diplomatic immunity that once shielded them from legal repercussions, they are finding that the law in South Africa is no longer a tool they can manipulate. The “Night of Terror” was not just a violent incident; it was the moment the veil of invincibility was finally torn away. The presence of a “mysterious co-accused” like Matonhodze suggests that the family’s inner circle is also under intense scrutiny. If he is indeed part of their security detail, his alleged involvement in a shooting and the subsequent missing firearm points to a much deeper level of dysfunction and potential criminality within the household, raising serious concerns about their operations.
As the gardener remains in hospital, his life irrevocably changed by a bullet, the Mugabe family’s status in South Africa has never been more fragile. The Hyde Park home, once a fortress of privacy and power, is now a crime scene, a symbol of their downfall. The missing gun, the mysterious co-accused, and the humiliating “illegal migrant” tag all point to a “Game Over” scenario for the son of the man who once ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist. The prosecution’s detail about the theft of the gate remote is particularly chilling: “After [the alleged victim] got shot, he tried to flee. He went outside of the gate and then he fell. After falling, one of the accused went and took the remote [for the gate] from him.” This act of calculated cruelty has transformed what might have been argued as an accident into a clear case of attempted murder and obstruction of justice, strengthening the prosecution’s hand.
The descent from the opulent heights of Harare’s “Blue Roof” mansion to the stark reality of a South African prison cell is a powerful reminder that even the most powerful legacies can eventually crumble under the weight of their own contradictions and legal challenges. When Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe returns to court on 3 March, he will not be appearing as a prince of a fallen empire, but as a defendant facing the full weight of the law in a country that no longer feels obligated to protect him. The investigation continues, and as more details emerge from that night of terror, the true story of what happened behind the imposing gates of the Hyde Park mansion may finally come to light, revealing the full extent of the tragedy.
For now, the man who once boasted about his father running the country must face a different reality: in the eyes of the South African justice system, he is just another undocumented foreigner facing a very long time behind bars. The party is over, the champagne has run dry, and for the youngest Mugabe, the real terror is only just beginning. His precarious status is a far cry from the days when the family could move across borders with impunity. Today, he is a man without a country, a son without a legacy, and a defendant without a defence. The world is watching, and for Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the game is truly over. The once-unassailable image of the Mugabe dynasty has been shattered, replaced by a narrative of legal battles, immigration woes, and a chilling act of violence that has brought their privileged existence crashing down. The coming court dates will undoubtedly reveal more, but the initial details paint a picture of a family grappling with the harsh realities of a post-power world.
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