JOHANNESBURG,
South
Africa
–
A
South
African
court
on
Wednesday
ordered
the
deportation
of
the
youngest
son
of
the
late
former
president
Robert
Mugabe,
implicated
in
the
shooting
of
a
gardener
after
an
altercation.
Bellarmine
Chatunga
Mugabe
has
been
in
custody
since
mid-February
alongside
his
cousin
and
co-accused,
Tobias
Mugabe
Matonhodze,
on
attempted
murder
charges
stemming
from
an
incident
at
the
family’s
home
in
Johannesburg’s
upscale
Hyde
Park
district.
After
a
failed
plea
deal,
Mugabe,
28,
admitted
to
being
in
South
Africa
illegally
and
to
pointing
a
toy
gun
in
a
separate
incident,
while
Matonhodze,
32,
pleaded
guilty
to
attempted
murder
and
other
charges.
The
Alexandra
Magistrates’
Court
fined
Mugabe
R600,000
($36,000)
on
two
counts,
or
24
months’
imprisonment
in
default.
It
also
ordered
his
immediate
deportation,
with
police
to
escort
him
to
Johannesburg’s
OR
Tambo
International
Airport.
“Mr
Mugabe,
you
can
count
yourself
very
lucky
that
the
complainant
in
your
case
was
not
injured,”
magistrate
Reiner
Boshoff
ruled,
adding
it
was
unclear
whether
Matonhodze
had
“taken
the
rap”
for
his
cousin
in
the
case
involving
the
gardener.
Matonhodze
received
concurrent
prison
terms
of
up
to
three
years,
which
the
court
described
as
“merciful,”
citing,
among
other
mitigating
factors,
that
the
complainant
had
been
compensated.
He
will
be
deported
after
serving
his
sentence.
Investigators
told
the
court
the
gardener
Sipho
Mahlangu
had
been
paid
R400,000
($24,000)
in
cash.
The
court
heard
that
Mahlangu
had
withdrawn
his
complaint
but
prosecutors
pressed
on
as
he
faced
crimes
against
the
state.
The
firearm
used
in
the
shooting
has
not
been
recovered
since
the
two
were
arrested
on
February
19.
Bellarmine
is
one
of
two
sons
that
Robert
Mugabe
had
with
his
second
wife
Grace.
The
brothers
have
at
times
lived
in
Johannesburg,
where
they
have
gained
a
reputation
for
partying
and
living
the
high
life.
–
AFP