Court Correspondent
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the 29-year-old son of Zimbabwe’s late former President Robert Mugabe, has been remanded in custody alongside four co-accused after appearing at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Thursday over allegations of assaulting a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigator during an operation targeting two luxury vehicles suspected of being illegally imported.
Chatunga appeared before magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai alongside Munashe Mubawu (43), Terrence Johannes Chinyemba (42), Fredson Peter (33) and Solomon Pamire (34).
The five were remanded in custody until Friday, November 6, when the court is expected to deliver its ruling on their bail application.
According to the State, the alleged assault occurred at Brompton Guest Lodge in Harare on November 3 at approximately 6.30pm, during an operation involving ZACC investigators.
Prosecutors allege that the complainant was confronted and assaulted using open hands and broomsticks before his service firearm, loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition, was forcibly taken.
The accused are also alleged to have taken the investigator’s Samsung mobile phone and smashed it on the ground.
The complainant sustained a deep cut to his forehead and was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
The State alleges that the firearm was subsequently recovered from Chinyemba following investigations.
The confronation followed a ZACC operation targeting a Lamborghini Urus and a Mercedes-Benz GLE 53, both bearing South African registration plates, over suspected irregularities in their importation documents.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, ZACC spokesperson Simiso Mlevu said investigators had established discrepancies between official border records and the physical location of the vehicles.
According to ZACC, the Lamborghini entered Zimbabwe in June and was recorded as having left the country on July 12, while the Mercedes-Benz was officially recorded as having exited for South Africa on October 10.
However, both vehicles were subsequently discovered at the Harare lodge, prompting suspicions that they had remained in Zimbabwe illegally.
Mlevu confirmed that an investigator was allegedly assaulted during the operation, resulting in a police report and the subsequent arrests.
The case comes amid intensified investigations by ZACC and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority into suspected vehicle importation fraud, including the alleged abuse of temporary import permits.
