Outstanding documents stall Bellarmine Mugabe’s bail bid

Outstanding documents from the State have delayed the bail bid of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s son, Bellarmine Mugabe, at the Alexandra Magistrates Court.

Mugabe, who made his second court appearance on Tuesday alongside his co-accused Tobias Mugabe Matonhdze, will remain in police custody after proceedings were postponed to allow the prosecution time to provide documents critical to the bail application.

Senior Counsel, Laurence Hodes, has been brought in to lead the bail proceedings, signalling a strengthened legal strategy as the defence prepares to formally argue for Mugabe’s release.

The pair face multiple charges, including attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, defeating the ends of justice, contravening the Immigration Act, theft, and pointing a firearm. The charges relate to an incident reported two weeks ago at Mugabe’s Hyde Park residence, where a man believed to be a gardener was allegedly shot. Police have not yet recovered the firearm reportedly used in the attack.

While proceedings were briefly interrupted by a power outage, the main reason for the delay was the State’s failure to provide a complete set of documents to the defence.

Speaking outside court, defence attorney Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, said the legal team had been ready to proceed.

“All I will say is that we’ve been ready since last week, Monday. Of course, the prosecution has stated on record that they’ve experienced certain challenges with regards to obtaining certain documents. But we’re ready from our side to proceed once the state is ready. And yeah, I think we’ll just take it from there once we can consult with our client to bring a proper bail application forward.”

Mnguni added that the defence still needs to fully consult with their client and review the complete case file before determining the strength and direction of the bail application.

“We will determine the strength and direction of our bail application once we have fully consulted with our clients and had sight of the complete docket.”

He also noted that the defence has not received any new information regarding Mugabe’s legal status in South Africa and declined to comment on the accused’s health or psychological condition, saying he was not privy to those details.

The matter has been postponed to Thursday, when the State is expected to finalise and hand over the outstanding documentation before bail proceedings can resume.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe