Where is the smoking gun? Police search for missing firearm as Chatunga Mugabe appears in court

As Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe is expected to appear before the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of attempted murder, a critical piece of evidence remains missing: the firearm allegedly used in the Hyde Park shooting.

Police have confirmed that while spent cartridges were recovered at the scene, the weapon believed to have been used in the shooting has not yet been found. Investigators, including K9 units and forensic teams, have been combing the property and surrounding areas since the incident.

On Sunday, IOL reported that Chatunga, 28, the youngest son of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, was expected to appear in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court following his arrest in connection with the shooting at an upmarket Hyde Park residence.

The shooting left a 23-year-old employee at the property critically injured. Police have not disclosed further details about the circumstances leading up to the incident, and the motive remains under investigation.

Two men were arrested at the residence on Thursday and have been charged with attempted murder. Authorities have confirmed that investigations are ongoing.

The missing firearm now forms a central part of the probe, as ballistic analysis of recovered cartridges will be key to reconstructing what happened.

The case has drawn significant public attention given the prominence of the accused and the Mugabe family’s previous legal controversies in South Africa.

Further details are expected to emerge as proceedings begin in court.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

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