Robert Mugabe’s Son Chatunga Arrested In Hyde Park, SA After ‘Shooting Security Guard’ During Violent Row

The troubled youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe is in police custody tonight, accused of shooting a security guard at his luxury home in Johannesburg’s upmarket Hyde Park following a furious argument.

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 29, was arrested at the scene on Thursday afternoon after allegedly opening fire on a guard, leaving the victim in a critical condition. The incident has sparked a massive police response, with hostage negotiators racing to the property after the suspect allegedly barricaded himself inside a room.

Siege In The Suburbs

Chaos erupted at the plush Hyde Park residence just after midday. According to anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee, the situation quickly escalated into a full-blown standoff with law enforcement.

“A security guard has been shot and wounded at a house in Hyde Park, JHB. It is believed that the house owner and guard had an argument,” Abramjee posted on X. “Police are at the scene. Sources say the son of a former president of a neighbouring country lives on the property.”

As the minutes ticked by, the situation grew more tense. Abramjee provided a dramatic update, stating that the suspect was refusing to come out.

“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 reported.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed they were on the scene. Colonel Dimakatso Sello, the Gauteng provincial police spokesperson, told media that she was en route to the scene to assess the situation, stating, “At this stage we are still at the scene and will give an update once confirmed.” Emergency medical personnel were seen attending to the wounded guard.

A String Of Violent Allegations

This latest arrest is just one chapter in a long and disturbing pattern of alleged violence involving Robert Mugabe’s son. This is not the first time the 29-year-old has found himself on the wrong side of the law, with a string of brutal incidents spanning Zimbabwe and South Africa.

In a horrifying incident in Zimbabwe in June 2025, Chatunga, along with his bodyguards, was charged with five counts of assault after a violent rampage at a mining site in Mazowe. The court heard how he allegedly led a group of armed men, some wielding AK-47 rifles, onto the Ultimate Mining concession, which borders his mother Grace Mugabe’s farm.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the victims were subjected to a terrifying ordeal. They were allegedly beaten with wooden logs, iron bars, and fists. One of the victims, Ntandoyokuza Nyathi, a security guard, was stomped on while lying on the ground.

“The accused persons charged towards the complainant whom they accused of harbouring illegal miners. They altogether assaulted the complainant with open hands and fists before he fell,” the court heard. “The trio stomped on the complainant several times whilst he was lying down. They ordered the complainant to carry a sack of gold ore to their premises, where they also took turns to assault him using wooden logs and an iron bar.”

In that case, Chatunga and his bodyguards, Peter Fredson and Tinashe Mupawo, were released on US$200 (approximately R3,700) bail each.

Months earlier, in September 2024, Robert Mugabe’s son was in trouble for a different kind of outburst. At a police roadblock in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, he allegedly lost his temper when officers asked for documents. According to court papers, he brandished a knife at a police officer and shouted, “Do you know who I am?”

“The police officer ordered the driver to park the vehicle on the side of the road. It is alleged that the accused person complained after the police officer requested that the driver parks the motor vehicle off the road. He (Chatunga) allegedly disembarked from the vehicle and charged towards the police officer shouting, ‘what are you doing, you are delaying me for the fourth time. I am rushing to a wedding in Harare, check my passport, don’t you know who I am’,” the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe stated at the time.

A small brown knife allegedly fell from his jacket during the scuffle, leading to his arrest on charges of disorderly conduct and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Fall From Grace

The string of arrests marks a significant fall from grace for the son of the man who ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist for nearly four decades. Known for flaunting cash and luxury cars on social media, Chatunga has struggled to navigate life outside the protective bubble of his father’s power.

A Zanu-PF politburo member previously described the Mugabe children’s reality to media, saying, “The fall of Mugabe in November 2017 and his eventual death in September two years later had a direct and negative impact on his then relatively young children. Six years after his death, the reality of navigating life without Mugabe’s philosophical approach or first family privileges that could literally let his kids get away with murder is still hitting hard.”

In a counter-complaint filed during the Mazowe case, Chatunga actually accused one of the victims of assaulting him. However, given the severity of the Hyde Park shooting, where a man is fighting for his life, sources suggest this time, the son of Robert Mugabe may not find it so easy to walk away.

Police are expected to release an official statement once the situation at the Hyde Park property is resolved.