South African Police Service has confirmed that an additional charge will be added to the case against the son of late former Robert Mugabe and his co-accused following a shooting incident in northern Johannesburg.
Twenty-eight-year-old Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and another suspect were arrested last week after a 23-year-old man was shot at Mugabe’s residence in Hyde Park.
The pair are scheduled to appear in the Alexandra Magistrates Court on Monday morning. They were initially charged with attempted murder.
Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the firearm allegedly used in the incident has still not been recovered, prompting an additional charge.
“Indeed, the firearm that was used in the commission of crime has not been found. As we already indicated last week, the two suspects, aged 28 and 33 years old, have been arrested for attempted murder and they will be appearing today in this same magistrate’s court,” she said.
Nevhuhulwi added that the suspects will now also face a charge of defeating the ends of justice due to the missing weapon.
“It will be for attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice since the firearm has not been found. We are expecting them to appear anytime soon once the court proceedings start,” she said.
Meanwhile, one supporter of Mugabe, who declined to be named, said he hoped the accused would be granted bail while police complete their investigation. He said authorities should be allowed to determine the facts, noting that the firearm has not yet been located.
Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting are continuing.