WATCH | Gunshots at Mugabe home ‘frequent’, residents claim

A Hyde Park security guard has revealed the shooting at the home of late Robert Mugabe’s sons that left a gardener badly wounded was not the first time gunshots have been heard at the sprawling mansion.

According to the man, who asked to remain anonymous, several months ago he heard gunshots at the home.

Residents of the area told Sowetan that they would often hear gunshots, though they could not say if they came from the same house.

Sowetan understands that the house is home to 27-year-old Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe and his 33-year-old brother Robert Mugabe Jnr.

Two people have been arrested, one of whom is believed to be Bellarmine. They are expected to appear at the Alexandra magistrate’s court on a charge of attempted murder.

According to a security guard who works at a property in the area, footage captured from cameras in one of the houses shows the moment when the man fell in the street after sustaining a gunshot wound.

Police have confirmed the employee was a gardener.

According to the guard, the footage captures the gardener exiting the Mugabe house and then lying on the ground.

“I heard two gunshots. I then decided to check what was happening. That is when I saw the man in the street lying down. He was followed by another man who was holding his phone. The man then went back into the yard,” he said.

He said he heard the gunshots at around 10am and immediately contacted a private security tactical team. However, the police arrived before the team did.

Gauteng police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi told reporters at the scene that police will be investigating an attempted murder charge after the 23-year-old gardener was shot.

“The information we have is that around 10am a diplomatic unit was patrolling the area and they were stopped by a security vehicle that informed them that there is a shooting incident.

“Upon arriving here, they found the victim who was shot. They managed to speak to him before he was taken to hospital, and the victim indicated that he is an employee [at the Mugabe home].”

Nevhuhulwi said the circumstances of the shooting were still sketchy and that the men were uncooperative and would not reveal to police the location of the firearm.

She also said the victim sustained one gunshot wound and police could not say who shot the man and where the firearm is.

A dog unit was called to search the house for the firearm. Nevhuhulwi said police found cartridges in the house that will form part of the investigation.

A man believed to be part of Bellarmine’s private security team, who arrived at the scene after the shooting, said he was uncooperative and refused to open the gate. He, however, opened the gate when the police arrived.

Two other neighbours who claimed to have heard the gunshots said this was not the first time this has happened.

“On Monday, I heard shots in this area, but I can’t say they were coming from this house. This is meant to be a secure area because there are high-profile people who live here, so you expect it to be a bit safer, but apparently it isn’t.”

Another said: “It is not for the first time we are hearing gunshots. We are feeling scared as neighbours.”

This is not the first time the Mugabe family has faced controversy.

TimesLIVE previously reported that Mugabe Jnr and Bellarmine have been described as “ticking PR timebombs” known for lavish parties and unruly behaviour that previously led to their eviction from their luxury Sandton apartments.

In October last year, Mugabe Jnr appeared in court in Harare on a charge of drug possession after he was arrested by police who spotted a vehicle travelling the wrong way in a one-way street.

Nine years ago, Bellarmine was in the news when his mother, Grace Mugabe, allegedly assaulted a 20-year-old South African woman who was at a Sandton Hotel with her sons.

Gabriella Engels was believed to be visiting Bellarmine and Mugabe Jnr when Grace allegedly attacked her with an electric cable at the upmarket hotel.

However, Zanu-PF’s Twitter account accused Engels of having been the aggressor, saying she had attacked Grace Mugabe.

Additional reporting by Thulani Mbele