Bellarmine: sins of the father?

Could the younger Mugabe be paying for his father’s misdeeds?

- Mpho Majoro

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and his co-accused Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze.

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On any given day, the Alexandra Magistrate's Court is a bustling hub of movement and energy, with people going about their business.

Peddlers and vendors adorn Second Avenue, vying for the mighty rand that draws many to Johannesburg.

Inside the court building, lawyers, anxious families, justice seekers, suspects, and all manner of spectators come and go as matters on the court roll are heard.

On Monday, February 23, the hive of activity was heightened in anticipation of the appearance of one Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and his co-accused, Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, who face attempted murder charges, as well as defeating the ends of justice.

Were it not for the famous last name they share, at a glance one would have concluded that they were just common criminals and not relatives of one of the most revered revolutionaries of his generation, former Zimbabwean president Robert Gabriel Mugabe. However, the reality is that they could be criminals; after all, they were not in court as upstanding members of society.