Chatunga Mugabe Walks Free As State Withdraws Drug Charges

Story By Staff Reporter

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, son of the late former president Robert Gabriel Mugabe, walked out of court a free man. The State withdrew the charges of possessing dangerous drugs (mbanje) against him during the vetting process.

Police had arrested him in Harare earlier. Officers escorted him into the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning, handcuffed alongside a friend.

Friend Appears In Court

Chatunga’s friend, Max Mugaba, has since appeared in court. He faces the same charges. Harare magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai heard the matter and stood it down to 2:15pm on Friday afternoon.

Lawyer Explains How Police Found The Drugs

Chatunga’s lawyer, Simbarashe Mukwekwezeka, gave his client’s account of the incident. He said Chatunga picked up Mugaba along the way to get a haircut. According to the lawyer, Chatunga did not know that his friend had 72 grammes of mbanje in his bag.

Mukwekwezeka said police officers stopped the pair because they were driving an unregistered vehicle. The officers then searched the vehicle. They found the drugs in Mugaba’s bag, he said.

Online Reactions To Chatunga Mugabe’s Arrest

The arrest sparked debate on social media before the charges fell away. Some users criticised how often Chatunga finds himself in trouble with the law.

Here are some of the comments:

@Bryan Machokoto

Umm manga masungwa nguvai zve Gushungo. Vakomana mukuvhura hombe henyu but mouraya muchembere ne BP.

@Tatenda Simunji

Ko uyu anongogara ari kumapurisa seiko nhai

@Tatenda Ngirazy

Court yangova play ground yake uyu….every month he is there on a different case…🙄

@Tendai Chinyerere

Iri ndiro rimwe dambudziko ratakasiirwa pano pasi naBaba Bona

@Charles Gonzo

Uyu mfana uyu ka baba wake Inga wakatisiira Asante sane ukuda kuzama kuita sei

Arrest Came Months After Johannesburg Shooting Case

The arrest came months after a shooting incident in Johannesburg. Chatunga had been staying at the property where it happened.

Police arrested him and his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, in February 2026. A worker had been shot and wounded at the Hyde Park residence.

At first, Chatunga faced an attempted murder charge. He also faced allegations of defeating the ends of justice and firearm-related offences. However, prosecutors later resolved the case through a plea agreement.

Chatunga Fined And Ordered Deported

In April, Chatunga pleaded guilty in a separate incident. The court convicted him of contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act. It also convicted him of pointing an object that could be mistaken for a firearm.

The Alexandra Magistrates’ Court fined him R600,000. In addition, it ordered his deportation to Zimbabwe.

Matonhodze, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to several charges. These included attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and defeating the ends of justice. He also admitted contravening immigration laws.

As a result, he received an effective three-year prison sentence, with the terms running concurrently. The court also ordered his deportation after he completes the sentence.