Bellarmine Mugabe not back in SA, lawyer dismisses viral photo

Bellarmine

Johannesburg – A viral social media photo purportedly showing Bellarmine Mugabe, the son of late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, shopping in Midrand has been dismissed as misleading, with his lawyer insisting he has not returned to South Africa.

Speaking to the SABC, lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni said: “We’ve taken instructions regarding the whereabouts of Mr Mugabe, and our instructions are clear. Mr Mugabe is currently not in South Africa.”

Mnguni declined to reveal his client’s location but insisted: “I can assure you that he’s not within the borders of the Republic of South Africa.”

He also pointed out that Mugabe is prohibited from entering South Africa for five years following his sentencing in April.

“My client has been banned from entering the Republic of South Africa for a period of five years because of the sentence he received. He certainly would not want to flout the laws or a court order… He certainly hasn’t been back since late April,” Mnguni said.

Addressing the viral image, the lawyer added: “I cannot give instructions on when the image was taken, but it certainly was not taken at any point during the course of this year.”

Bellarmine Mugabe was deported to Zimbabwe after being fined R600,000 or sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment in April, while his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, is serving a three-year prison sentence in South Africa.

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