Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the 28-year-old youngest son of the late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has been arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, following the shooting of a 23-year-old gardener at his Hyde Park residence. A second 24-year-old suspect was also taken into custody on Thursday afternoon. Gauteng police responded after private security flagged down officers reporting gunfire at the property.

The victim, a gardener employed at the residence, was rushed to hospital in critical condition, though authorities are hopeful for his recovery. Preliminary inquiries suggest that an alleged labor dispute between the gardener and one of the suspects may have led to the shooting. Police confirmed the recovery of a cartridge at the scene, but the exact number of shots fired remains unconfirmed, and investigators, including a dog unit, are still actively searching the property for the firearm. The suspects initially refused to open the property to officers, requiring lengthy negotiations before police could gain entry.

Thursday’s arrest is far from Mugabe’s first encounter with law enforcement, adding to a growing list of violent allegations against him. He is reportedly linked to at least seven open criminal cases across both South Africa and Zimbabwe, involving accusations of assault, torture, and various firearms offences.

Among the notable past incidents is an accusation from June 2024, where Mugabe was alleged to have led an armed group in an attack at the Ultimate Mining site in Zimbabwe, bordering his mother Grace Mugabe’s private estate. Witnesses claimed he arrived with men wielding AK-47 rifles, accusing mine security of allowing illegal panners onto the family’s land. At least three workers reportedly sustained serious injuries during this incident, including skull fractures and broken ribs.

Further charges against Mugabe include attacking a school groundsman in June 2024, alongside two bodyguards. He is also alleged to have assaulted a truck driver with a stun gun in September 2024, reportedly for failing to greet him “respectfully.”

Mugabe and his companion remain in custody for questioning while Gauteng police continue their investigation. Formal charges, likely to include attempted murder, are anticipated once police complete their preliminary inquiries, marking this as a developing story.