Zimbabwe’s first lady no-show in court

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG

Zimbabwe’s first lady failed to appear in court Tuesday to answer allegations she assaulted a 20-year-old woman.

South African model Gabriella Engels accuses Grace Mugabe, 52, of assaulting her Sunday with an electrical cord that left her with injuries on her forehead and the back of her head.

Engels told a local news website the assault happened when she and a friend was at an upscale hotel in Johannesburg's Sandton district to visit Mugabe’s sons Robert and Chatunga.

Engels said a bodyguard asked her and a friend to wait in a separate room where the assault occurred.

"When Grace entered I had no idea who she was. She walked in with an extension cord and just started beating me with it," Engels said.

She claimed Mugabe had accused her of living with her sons. Mugabe has two sons who live in South Africa.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula earlier told reporters the first lady had turned in herself to police and would appear in court. But Mugabe was a no-show at the Randburg Magistrates Court.

“We are still continuing with our investigations when it is finalized we will take it to the senior public prosecutor for a decision,” National Police spokesman Vish Naidoo told Anadolu Agency after Mugabe did not appear in court.

Professor Andre Duvenhage of South Africa's Northwest University told Anadolu Agency that South Africa and Zimbabwe enjoy good diplomatic relations that would not be derailed.

“I think an outside court settlement might be reached soon between the victim and Mugabe,” he said.

Mugabe was in South Africa to receive treatment for a knee injury she sustained in a recent accident.

Other sources said Mugabe cannot use diplomatic immunity to evade the charges because she was on a private visit to the country.