Family denies media claims following Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe's arrest
After a gardener was shot and seriously hurt at a Hyde Park property connected to Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, Gauteng police have detained two men for interrogation.
Image: Timothy Bernard/ Independent Newspapers
The family of Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe has distanced itself from statements circulating in the media following his arrest on attempted murder charges in Johannesburg.
The youngest son of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, Chatunga Mugabe was arrested at his Hyde Park home on Thursday after a 23-year-old gardener was shot and left critically injured.
In a media statement issued through its lawyers, the family said it noted “with concern various statements and communications circulating in the media purporting to represent the views and position of the family”.
It stated unequivocally that it had “not appointed, authorised, or mandated any public relations team, media consultant, or spokesperson to speak on its behalf”.
“Accordingly, any statements, commentary, or representations made by any third party claiming to act for or represent the family are false and should be disregarded in their entirety,” the statement read.
The family further directed that all media enquiries be referred to its legal representatives.
“All media enquiries and requests for comment are to be directed to the family’s legal representatives. No other individual or entity is authorised to engage with the media on behalf of the family,” it said.
It added that it expected media houses and stakeholders to respect its position and warned that it reserved its rights in relation to any unauthorised statements or conduct that may prejudice its interests.
IOL previously reported that the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng confirmed that two men had been taken in for questioning following the shooting at an upmarket Hyde Park residence where Mugabe resides.
Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi told journalists that the circumstances surrounding the shooting were still unclear.
“The circumstances of the shooting at this stage are still a bit sketchy,” she said.
Nevhuhulwi said two men, aged 33 and 24, were being taken into custody for questioning as police worked to determine what led to the shooting.
“At the moment, we will be taking two people into custody. Their ages are 33 and 24. They will be taken in for questioning so that we can determine what actually happened and what led to the shooting,” she said.
Nevhuhulwi said the firearm allegedly used in the shooting had not yet been located and that police were conducting an extensive search of the residence.
“We did manage to find a cartridge, and that cartridge will form part of the investigation,” she added.
Chatunga Mugabe is expected to appear in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court, Johannesburg, on Monday.
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