The shooting incident at the upscale Johannesburg home of one of the sons of the late former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, has shocked the affluent neighbourhood. Mystery shrouds the circumstances surrounding the shooting of 23-year-old gardener Sipho Mahlangu at the Sandhurst residence on Thursday.
For one, the weapon used in the shooting incident has reportedly not been found, despite the deployment of a multidisciplinary police team that included divers, forensics specialists and a K-9 unit. There is no clarity on the ownership or explanation regarding a luxury BMW impounded from the residence that was found to be illegally fitted with blue lights. There are also varying media reports on how many times the victim was shot – Sunday World could not independently verify as police cited their ongoing investigations.
However, police did confirm the arrest of two men in connection to the shooting incident. Although they could not reveal their identities as they have not yet appeared in court – Sunday World can confirm that one of them was indeed Mugabe. In a statement, the police said they are investigating a case of attempted murder.
“The police can confirm that the two men who were brought in for questioning in relation to a shooting that occurred on Thursday at Hyde Park have been officially arrested and are expected to appear before the Alexandra court on charges of attempted murder. Police investigations continue,” Gauteng police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said.
Mugabe’s spokesperson, Malcolm X said yesterday that the son of the late Zimbabwean president told him that he did not shoot the gardener. According to X, the younger Mugabe also has no knowledge of the missing firearm.
“I do not know if there was a gun at the house or not. He told me he knows nothing about the presence of a gun that was allegedly in his house,” said X.
Insiders close to the family confirmed that Mugabe, who was detained and questioned by police, was with his Zimbabwean bodyguard at the time of the incident.
“The police only found numerous cartridges from different guns, so they intensified the search to locate the actual firearm. The police even went to two neighbouring houses to search, and they found nothing,” claimed the family insider.
According to neighbours, gunfire, noise and late-night gatherings are common occurrences at the Sandhurst residence.
Sunday World understands that neighbours have complained to police that the residence was a den for alcohol- and drug-fueled nighttime trysts.
On the question of whether Mugabe was in the country legally, Nevhuhulwi said, “As already indicated, the matter is under investigation, and we will not be commenting further on it unless there is an update to be communicated,” she said.
When asked the same question, Mugabe’s lawyer, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, refused to comment, citing the ongoing police investigations. While X said, “The last time I checked, Mugabe has always been in South Africa legally.”
The Mugabe family has had some encounters with the law in the past. Last year, Robert Mugabe Jr was fined $300 for admitting to possession of marijuana in Zimbabwe.
Their mother, Grace Mugabe, was accused of assaulting a model with an electric cord at a Johannesburg hotel in 2017.
Mugabe, who was still first lady at the time, was initially ordered to appear in court but was later granted diplomatic immunity.
The late former Zimbabwean president was ousted in a military coup in November 2017 after 37 years in power. He died in September 2019, aged 95.
