Mugabe's son appears in South Africa court over shooting

Following the shooting of a gardener at his home, the youngest son of former Zimbabwean ruler Robert Mugabe has appeared in a South African court.

The incident occurred last month at his home in an affluent suburb north of Johannesburg.

Mugabe has abandoned his bail application and the case is set to resume on 17 March. His lawyer said Mugabe is not yet sure how he will plead.

Sinenhlanhla Mnguni said, "It's still premature to say. It's still very early. I mean, negotiations, as you know, are give and take. But whether we are going to plead guilty to anything at this stage, it's premature to say. But there are negotiations possibly going to take place with the state."

Following the shooting, police arrested two men on charges of attempted murder, including Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe. Aged 29, he is the youngest son of the late Robert Mugabe, who was toppled in a 2017 military takeover after nearly four decades in power.

According to authorities, the motive for the shooting is currently unknown, and police investigations are ongoing. Police added that the gardener is in a critical condition.

The former president's two sons with Grace Mugabe occasionally live in Johannesburg, where they have a reputation for partying.

Several years ago, Grace was accused of assaulting an employee at the family home in Zimbabwe.