Bellarmine Mugabe’s Attempted Murder Case Postponed As Power Outage Hits Magistrate’s Court

• Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze were due to appear before the Alexandra Magistrate's Court
• The pair face five charges, including attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice in relation to a shooting on 19 February 2026
• The two accused will remain in custody until a later date in March 2026, after their matter was postponed once again

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze’s case has been postponed once again.

Mugabe (28) and Matonhodze (33) were due to appear before the Alexandra Magistrate's Court on 5 March 2026, but the matter could not be heard due to electricity issues at the court. The case has now been postponed, and the pair will remain behind bars.

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They were arrested on Thursday, 19 February 2026, at Mugabe’s Hyde Park home in Johannesburg following the shooting of a 23-year-old employee at the property. Despite being arrested, the weapon used in the commission of the crime has not yet been found.

Why was the matter adjourned?

The case against Bellarmine, the son of the former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has been adjourned due to a power outage at the court. According to reports, the court has been without electricity for at least a week.

The matter has now been postponed to 11 March 2026.

Mugabe and Matonhodze last appeared on 4 March 2026, when the matter was postponed to allow for the state to provide the defence with more evidentiary documents.

The defendants are charged with attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, pointing a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm, and contravention of the Immigration Act.

Democratic Alliance concerned by the issue

Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament, Glynis Breytenbach, was also present in the courtroom and announced plans to raise the issue with the Minister of Justice.

Breytenbach noted that the power outage not only affected Mugabe’s case but also resulted in the mass postponement of multiple cases.

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"Well, it’s ongoing and unacceptable. We’ll certainly be raising this with the minister on an urgent basis," Breytenbach said.

The DA member also noted that the court had a generator, but it was not in use.

"This is not the only court that has a generator with no fuel. Either the generator is broken, or there is no fuel, which is not helpful; you might as well not have a generator," she said.

Other stories about Mugabe's arrest

Briefly News reported that there have been several updates since Mugabe's arrest at his Hyde Park home.

• Grace Mugabe, the wife of the late Robert Mugabe, reacted after her son was arrested in Hyde Park.
• The South African Police Service (SAPS) confiscated a vehicle, which was found outside the premises.
• Police reported that a scuffle between the SAPS and the suspects broke out before Mugabe was arrested.

Source: Briefly News