The bail application of attempted murder-accused Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and his co-accused Tobias Tamirepi Mugabe Matonhodze, which was expected to be heard on Tuesday, has been postponed to March 5.
The duo briefly appeared at the Alexandra Magistrate's Court this morning, but the matter was postponed as the state still has outstanding documents it needs to provide to the defence.
Speaking after Tuesday's postponement, Mugabe's lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni confirmed that the defence has yet to receive all necessary documents from the state. "There are still some documents that the prosecution needs to provide before we proceed with the bail application on our side."
Although the defence is still awaiting outstanding documents from the state, Mnguni said they have been ready to proceed with the bail application since last week. "Of course, the prosecution has stated, on record, that they have been experiencing challenges with regard to obtaining some documents, but we are ready on our side to proceed once the state is ready."
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Mugabe and Matonhodze face multiple charges following the alleged shooting of a 23-year-old gardener at Mugabe's Hyde Park residence. While they initially faced attempted murder charges, additional charges have since been added, including unlawful possession of a firearm and defeating the ends of justice, as the firearm used in the incident has still not been recovered.
In a previous appearance, state prosecutor Lufuno Maphiri told the court that the state believes the accused may have concealed the firearm used in the shooting.
Police previously confirmed that the gardener was in critical condition following the shooting. However, Mnguni declined to comment on the current status of the 23-year-old.
