What You Need to Know
Bilarmin Mugabe, the youngest son of late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, was arrested in South Africa following a shooting incident at his home in Johannesburg. One employee was critically injured, and investigations are ongoing. The incident raises questions about the Mugabe family’s behavior since the fall of their regime.
Africa-Press. South African police announced that Bilarmin Mugabe, the youngest son of the late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, was arrested following a shooting incident at his home in Johannesburg, where one employee was seriously injured. A lawyer told a local source that Mugabe was among two men detained by police on Thursday for investigation before being formally charged with attempted murder.
Authorities reported that one household staff member was shot and is in critical condition, while the number of shots fired remains unclear. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nefoholoi confirmed that the motives behind the incident are still unclear, noting that investigations are ongoing and that the detainees initially did not cooperate with police and did not disclose the location of the weapon used.
Incident Details
The incident occurred at Mugabe’s residence in an upscale neighborhood of Johannesburg, as reported by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, which published images of him handcuffed while being escorted by police.
Bilarmin, 29, is the son of Robert Mugabe and his second wife, Grace. He has intermittently lived in South Africa with his older brother, Robert Jr. Their father, who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before being ousted in a military coup in 2017, died in Singapore in 2019.
In recent years, the Mugabe family has been linked to several criminal cases. Robert Jr. was fined last year in Zimbabwe after being convicted of marijuana possession, while their mother, Grace, faced assault charges in 2017 for attacking a model in a luxury hotel in Johannesburg, before being granted diplomatic immunity as the First Lady at the time.
Wider Context
Bilarmin’s arrest brings renewed attention to the ongoing controversy surrounding the behavior of the late president’s family, who have remained in the media spotlight since Mugabe’s fall from power. The incident raises questions about the lives of the children of African leaders after losing power and how they cope with public scrutiny and scandals in the post-rule phase.
Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before being ousted in a military coup in 2017. He passed away in 2019 in Singapore. The Mugabe family has faced various legal issues, including Robert Jr.’s conviction for marijuana possession in Zimbabwe and Grace Mugabe’s assault charges in 2017, which were dropped due to her diplomatic immunity.
The arrest of Bilarmin Mugabe highlights ongoing concerns regarding the conduct of the Mugabe family post-regime. It reflects broader issues surrounding the lives of African leaders’ children after losing power, as they navigate public scrutiny and scandals in their post-rule lives.
