The worker wounded during a shooting at the Mugabe family home in Johannesburg has received a compensation settlement, with a further payment still outstanding.
The firearm used in the attack is still missing.
This emerged on Friday during the appearance of Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and his co-accused Tobias Matonhodze in the Alexandra magistrate’s court on Friday. Both men have been in custody since the February shooting.
Testifying in court, investigating officer Col Raj Ramchunder said Sipho Mahlangu*, who was shot twice in the back at the Hyde Park residence, had been paid R250,000 and was expecting a further R150,000 in cash.
The officer said he only established this during a consultation with Mahlangu a day before court, adding that he was not part of the initial compensation discussions.
Despite this development, the weapon that was used in the shooting — believed to be a 9mm firearm — remains unaccounted for. He said the accused have not co-operated and have not disclosed any information that could assist in locating the firearm.
He warned that a missing, functional firearm could pose a broader risk to society if it ends up being used in another crime.
The court heard that police had conducted an extensive search at the crime scene, including the house, yard and swimming pool, where divers used magnets to scan the pool.
“Nothing was found,” Ramchunder told the court, adding that police had also pursued leads through informants and questioned the accused about the weapon’s whereabouts.
The matter returned to court on Friday after last week’s proceedings, where both accused submitted affidavits detailing their guilty pleas and personal circumstances.
In his affidavit, Matonhodze admitted to attempted murder after shooting the victim, while also pleading guilty to defeating the ends of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and contravening immigration laws by living in South Africa illegally until his arrest.
Mugabe, the younger son of late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, pleaded guilty to pointing an object resembling a firearm (a toy gun) in a separate incident and to violating immigration laws.
The court heard that both men are Zimbabwean nationals and cousins, aged 28 and 32, respectively, with no previous convictions.
In mitigation, their legal representative, advocate Laurance Hodes, told the court that both accused are involved in cattle-farming businesses in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe reportedly earns between $8,000 and $10,000 a month and employs about 65 people. Matonhodze earns between $2,000 and $5,000 monthly and employs about 30 people.
The court was told Mugabe had previously studied business administration in South Africa, completing his qualification in 2020, before returning to Zimbabwe and later re-entering the country in 2025, where he overstayed his visa.
Both accused indicated through their lawyer that they are financially able to pay fines, compensate victims and cover their own deportation costs.
The defence has argued for a non-custodial sentence, citing their status as first-time offenders, their guilty pleas and the compensation already paid to the victim.
The court was told the victim had come to court and appeared to be in good condition.
Sentencing proceedings are postponed to Wednesday.
*Note: Ramchunder referred to Mahlanga as a gardener. Previous mentions of the worker described him as a security guard. The conflicting roles have not yet been clarified.
TimesLIVE
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