JOHANNESBURG,
South
Africa
–
Prosecutors
have
asked
for
direct
imprisonment
for
Bellarmine
Chatunga
Mugabe,
the
son
of
the
late
former
president
Robert
Mugabe,
as
a
South
African
court
postponed
sentencing
to
April
29.
The
state
is
seeking
12
months’
direct
imprisonment
on
a
charge
of
pointing
a
firearm,
and
a
further
12
months
on
a
charge
of
being
an
illegal
immigrant.
For
his
co-accused,
Tobias
Matonhodze,
who
pleaded
guilty
to
a
raft
of
more
serious
charges,
prosecutors
are
seeking
five
years’
direct
imprisonment
for
attempted
murder,
12
years
for
possession
of
an
illegal
firearm,
12
years
for
defeating
the
ends
of
justice,
a
fine
for
possession
of
ammunition,
and
12
months’
direct
imprisonment
for
immigration
violations.
Matonhodze’s
exposure
is
substantially
greater,
with
the
firearm
and
defeating-the-ends-of-justice
counts
alone
carrying
a
combined
24
years
sought
by
the
state.
Mugabe
pleaded
guilty
to
being
in
South
Africa
illegally
and
to
pointing
a
firearm,
the
latter
arising
from
a
separate
incident
just
two
weeks
before
his
security
guard,
Sipho
Mahlangu,
was
shot
at
his
Hyde
Park
home
on
February
19.
The
investigating
officer
told
the
Alexandra
Magistrates
Court
that
Mahlangu
has
received
R250,000
in
compensation,
with
a
further
R150,000
still
outstanding.
He
pushed
for
a
harsh
sentence,
arguing
that
neither
accused
had
disclosed
the
whereabouts
of
the
firearm
used
in
the
shooting,
which
has
not
been
recovered.
“Both
accused
showed
no
remorse,”
the
officer
told
the
court,
saying
the
failure
to
produce
the
weapon
amounted
to
continued
non-cooperation.
The
defence
countered
that
other
individuals
were
present
at
the
Hyde
Park
property
at
the
time
and
that
the
gun
could
have
been
removed
by
someone
else.
It
has
asked
for
non-custodial
sentences,
pointing
to
the
compensation
paid
to
Mahlangu
as
evidence
of
accountability,
though
the
prosecution
noted
the
full
agreed
amount
remains
unpaid.
The
matter
was
postponed
to
April
29
for
sentencing.