Johnson Progress

Renowned specialist crime investigator Mike Bolhuis has vehemently rejected widespread social media speculation that the criminal case against Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, son of Zimbabwe’s late former President Robert Mugabe, is likely to be thrown out of court due to a lack of evidence.

Mugabe and his co-accused, Tobias Matonhodze, are currently in police custody following their arrest last week.

The charges stem from a shooting incident at the Mugabe family’s Hyde Park property, in which an employee was seriously wounded.

The speculation regarding the potential collapse of the case centres on the fact that the firearm allegedly used in the shooting has not been recovered by police.

This missing weapon has led to online conjecture that the state’s case may be too weak to proceed.

However, speaking exclusively, Bolhuis offered a strong counter-argument to these claims.

He emphasised that the absence of the weapon, while a complicating factor, is by no means fatal to the prosecution’s case.

“There is physical evidence of the shot. There is witnesses and there is a gun wound and he is critical in hospital,” Bolhuis stated, outlining the fundamental pillars of evidence already available to investigators.

He further elaborated on the strength of this existing evidence, explaining that the victim’s condition alone provides an undeniable link to the alleged crime.

“These are all facts and information to be presented in court. There is no other way this person finds himself in this situation without being shot by a gun,” the investigator asserted, underscoring that the physical reality of the shooting cannot be disputed, regardless of the weapon’s location.

Bolhuis also issued a stern warning regarding the missing firearm and the importance of cooperation.

He pointed out that the investigation into the gun’s disappearance is a serious matter in its own right.

“The fact remains that those who don’t come forward with the gun are in big trouble,” he cautioned.

He added that the investigation’s integrity depends on truthful testimony, noting, “If victims lies and doesn’t cooperate he is also in big trouble.”

Concluding his assessment, Bolhuis was unequivocal about the legal trajectory of the case.

He dismissed the idea that the charges could simply be dropped, reinforcing the principle that the decision to prosecute now rests solely with the state.

“This case cannot fall away. Nobody can withdraw this case and this case has to be prosecuted by the state,” he said.

The legal troubles for the two accused have deepened since their initial arrest.

While they were first charged with attempted murder, authorities have since added two more serious charges.

They now also face charges of possession of a firearm without a licence and defeating the ends of justice, the latter directly linked to the alleged disposal or concealment of the missing gun, which was reportedly used to shoot their gardener on the evening of Thursday, 20 February.

As a result, Mugabe and Matonhodze will remain behind bars for the immediate future.

Their highly anticipated bail application has been scheduled to be heard on 3 March.

Until that date, both men are set to remain in custody, awaiting their day in court.