Bellarmine Mugabe Case Delayed Again As Power Outage Disrupts Alexandra Court

A court appearance involving Bellarmine Mugabe, the youngest son of late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, was brought to a halt on Thursday after electricity issues forced the Alexandra Magistrates Court to postpone proceedings yet again.

Mugabe and his co-accused, Tobias Matondze, were due to formally apply for bail when the matter was called. Instead, the hearing could not proceed because the court building has been without electricity for days, affecting multiple cases on the court roll.

The postponement adds another layer of delay to a case that has already drawn significant attention in Johannesburg.

Bail Hearing Put On Hold

The pair are facing a series of serious charges linked to a shooting incident that allegedly took place at Mugabe’s Hyde Park residence last month.

Prosecutors say an employee working at the property was shot during the incident. Authorities subsequently arrested Mugabe and Matondze, and both men now face seven charges. These include attempted murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition, pointing a firearm, theft, defeating the ends of justice and contravening the Immigration Act.

The National Prosecuting Authority has already indicated that it plans to oppose bail once the matter is properly heard in court.

Defence Frustrated By Ongoing Delays

Thursday’s postponement marks the second delay in just a week.

Defence lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni told the court that the repeated interruptions are frustrating for the legal team and their clients, particularly because the bail process cannot move forward without a functioning courtroom.

According to Mnguni, the defence has now received confirmation relating to the immigration status of both accused individuals. However, legal representatives are still waiting for further instructions from Mugabe and Matondze before proceeding with their bail application.

Power Problems Disrupt Court Proceedings

The Alexandra Magistrates Court precinct has reportedly been without electricity for about a week. The outage has had a knock-on effect on court operations, with several matters postponed since the beginning of the week.

In a justice system that already faces heavy caseloads and backlogs, disruptions like these often push cases further down the line, prolonging legal uncertainty for both the accused and complainants.

For now, Mugabe and Matondze remain in custody while the court waits for power to be restored and proceedings to resume.

Once the matter returns to the roll, the court will need to determine whether the two accused should be granted bail while the criminal case continues.

{Source:EWN}

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