Borders on alert to stop Grace fleeing
First lady’s whereabouts unknown as Gerrie Nel reveals cash offer
POLICE have put a “red alert” on South Africa’s borders to prevent any attempt by Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe, accused of assaulting a model in a Johannesburg hotel, to flee the country.
This, as former state prosecutor Gerrie Nel revealed that the model’s family had been offered a blank cheque to drop the case but had rejected the offer.
“The family is not interested in [accepting a cash settlement],” Nel said at a media conference at AfriForum’s offices in Centurion at which the alleged victim‚ Gabriella Engels‚ 20, and her mother‚ Debbie‚ were present.
“They said let us talk and make this go away. No amount was mentioned.”
AfriForum chief executive Kallie Kriel said: “There wasn’t an amount offered to them [the Engels family]. The indication was, come up with a figure.”
Nel, who laid out the murder case against track star Oscar Pistorius and is nicknamed the Bulldog, said he was ready to represent the alleged attack victim.
Engels has accused Mugabe, 52, of barging into a hotel where the model was meeting with Mugabe’s sons, and whipping her with an electric cord.
Nel said: “We just want to make sure that everybody is equal before the law and that there should not be selective prosecution.”
AfriForum has sought to block any attempt by government officials to grant Mugabe diplomatic immunity.
Another AfriForum lawyer, Willie Spies, said: “Should an erroneous decision be made to grant diplomatic immunity in this case, then we would consider bringing an urgent application to the high court to prevent the decision from being executed.”
AfriForum has said it would even consider a private prosecution.
Kriel said: “She [Mugabe] is not untouchable.”
Debbie Engels said she was relieved that AfriForum was helping.
“Now I can sleep a little bit more peacefully knowing that I have people who can help me to get justice for my daughter,” she said.
Mugabe’s husband, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has meanwhile arrived in South Africa for a regional summit, complicating the government’s diplomatic dilemma.
Grace Mugabe has asked for diplomatic immunity in the case, but has not been charged. Her whereabouts were not known to the authorities yesterday.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said yesterday police had put a “red alert” for her on South Africa’s borders.
“We had already put tabs on the borders, in relation to her leaving the country, so there’s no question about that,” he said, adding that she had, so far, made no attempt to flee.
The police have said she would get no special treatment.
Meanwhile, Nel said an investigator had told him police were preparing an arrest warrant for Mugabe.
However, a senior police source said: “We are not preparing an arrest warrant yet.
“Our investigations were completed, but before we could take the next step, the suspect applied to invoke diplomatic immunity. “We are awaiting the outcome.” Mugabe had come to South Africa for medical treatment to an injured foot, almost certainly invalidating her claims to diplomatic immunity, legal experts said.
However, given the potential for diplomatic fallout, prosecutors could decide to drop the case if they thought the injuries to the alleged victim were not too severe, criminal attorney Riaan Louw said.
The Harare government has made no official comment and requests for comment from government officials have gone unanswered.
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Pretoria, Isaac Moyo, did not answer his phone.