Johannesburg – Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, has been arrested after allegedly shooting a hsrdener at his luxury home in Johannesburg’s upmarket Hyde Park suburb, police have confirmed.

The gardener who was initially believed to have been a security guard was shot following a dispute at the property on Thursday afternoon and has been rushed to hospital in a critical condition .

Tense standoff

According to anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee, the incident sparked a tense standoff at the plush residence.

“It is believed that the son of the late & former Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe, opened fire on the guard. He locked himself in a room and is refusing to open. Police hostage negotiators are racing to the scene,” Abramjee posted on X .

Previous incidents

This arrest adds to a series of legal troubles involving the 29-year-old Chatunga Mugabe, who has previously made headlines for alleged violent behaviour in both Zimbabwe and South Africa .

In June 2025, he appeared in a Zimbabwean court facing multiple assault charges following an incident at a mining site in Mazowe, where he and his bodyguards were accused of attacking workers with wooden logs and iron bars .

Months earlier, in September 2024, Chatunga was charged in Zimbabwe after allegedly brandishing a knife at a police officer during a roadblock in Beitbridge .

In 2023, he was accused of assault following an altercation at a Sandton nightclub, though details surrounding the outcome were not publicly disclosed .

Police investigation

South African Police Service officers remain at the Hyde Park property, which is located in one of Johannesburg’s most affluent suburbs .

The identity of the victim is yet to be established. It is also not confirmed whether charges have been formally laid, or the precise circumstances leading up to the shooting .

This is a breaking news story.

More details to follow.