Two months after an employee was shot in the back at the Mugabe family residence in an affluent Johannesburg suburb, a South African court has fined and ordered the deportation of Robert Mugabe’s youngest son on two separate charges.

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 28, and his cousin, Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, 33, were originally both charged with attempted murder following the shooting on 19 February.

Earlier this month, Matonhodze admitted guilt to attempted murder, firearms violations, obstructing the course of justice because the weapon was never recovered, and breaching immigration regulations. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to three years in prison.

Mugabe was fined 400,000 rand (£17,851) for brandishing a toy gun in a manner that could reasonably be mistaken for a real firearm in a separate 2023 incident. He also received a 200,000 rand (£8,919.50) fine for violating immigration laws, having pleaded guilty to both offences. The court instructed police to escort him to Johannesburg’s main international airport for deportation to Zimbabwe.

Magistrate Renier Boshoff addressed Mugabe in court, stating: “I do not know whether the second accused took the blame on your behalf, and I can only decide based on the evidence before me.”

The magistrate explained that the sentences were reduced because both men had pleaded guilty, had already spent time in custody since the February shooting, and because the 23-year-old victim, Sipho Mahlangu, indicated he wished to withdraw the charges after receiving financial compensation from Mugabe and Matonhodze. Prosecutors had sought substantial prison terms for both accused.

Investigating officer Raj Ramchunder told the court during the 24 April sentencing hearing that Mahlangu had been paid 250,000 rand (£11,150), with an additional 150,000 rand (£6,690) promised.

Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe, led the country for nearly four decades. His tenure, which began after the end of white minority rule, later became marked by economic turmoil and political repression. He was removed from office in 2017 and died two years later at the age of 95.

In the past, Mugabe and his older brother, Robert Junior, attracted public attention for displaying a lavish lifestyle on social media.

The Mugabe family has previously faced legal scrutiny in South Africa, adding to the public attention surrounding the current case.

The magistrate also noted that both Mugabe and his cousin were first-time offenders in this matter. However, Mugabe has previously encountered legal issues in Zimbabwe.

According to media reports in Zimbabwe, he was arrested in 2024 for allegedly assaulting a police officer at a roadblock. In June of the previous year, he was also detained and later released on bail over claims that he assaulted a security guard at a gold mine. The current status of those cases remains unclear.