Chatunga’s lawyer says Matonhodze did not take the fall for him – claims public just wanted Mugabe’s son jailed
SINENHLANHLA Mnguni, the lawyer who secured Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe’s non-custodial sentence, has dismissed claims that jailed co-accused Tobias Matonhodze pleaded guilty so as to take the fall and save late President Robert Mugabe’s son. Chatunga was deported last night after being convicted of pointing a toy gun at someone, last year and breaking South Africa’s […] The post Chatunga’s lawyer says Matonhodze did not take the fall for him – claims public just wanted Mugabe’s son jailed appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
SINENHLANHLA Mnguni, the lawyer who secured Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe’s non-custodial sentence, has dismissed claims that jailed co-accused Tobias Matonhodze pleaded guilty so as to take the fall and save late President Robert Mugabe’s son.
Chatunga was deported last night after being convicted of pointing a toy gun at someone, last year and breaking South Africa’s immigration laws.
Popularly known just as Chatunga, he had been arrested on charges of shooting his gardener, 23-year-old Siphon Mahlangu, charges that he denied.
His cousin, Matonhodze pleaded guilty to this charge and was sentenced to three years in prison raising questions whether he had taken the fall for him.
Mnguni said the public had just wanted to see Chatunga go down.
“That is speculative at best and it cannot be said that anyone took the gall for anyone,” said Mnguni.
“Both accused, when they pleaded guilty did so knowing what the charges against them were. They pleaded accordingly.
“Because of the optics and spectacle around it, there is a person the court of public opinion wanted to take the blame and responsibility for this entire ordeal.”
Chatunga was fined R400,000 for pointing the toy gun and R200,000 for flouting immigration laws.
He also paid close to R400,000 in compensation to Mahlangu, who was shot at the Mugabe’s Hyde Park mansion.
“This was a fair ruling,” added Mnguni.
Chatunga last year led a group of AK47 wielding men onto one of his late father’s properties in Mazowe and left a men battling for his life.
Chatunga was expected at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport last night.
His mother, Grace, was conspicuously absent from all of his court appearances. She also had her own fair share of drama, having at one time “fled” South Africa after heavily assaulting a girl she found with her sons at one of their South African properties.
The post Chatunga’s lawyer says Matonhodze did not take the fall for him – claims public just wanted Mugabe’s son jailed appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
