Mystery around whereabouts as Mugabe’s wife accused of attack
THE WIFE of Zimbabwe’s president has been accused of assaulting a young woman at a hotel in South Africa.
It was not immediately clear where Grace Mugabe was. Minister of police Fikile Mbalula said in a video posted by local broadcaster eNCA that she had handed herself over to police.
But a police spokesman, Vishnu Naidoo, later said no arrest had been made and police were talking with the suspect’s lawyers. He would not name the suspect.
The case draws yet more attention to the increasingly outspoken wife of the world’s oldest head of state, 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
Last month she challenged her husband publicly for the first time to name a successor, positioning herself to take over as his advanced age takes a toll ahead of next year’s election.
Twenty-year-old model Gabriella Engels has accused Mrs Mugabe of assaulting her on Sunday night while she was visiting mutual friends of Mugabe’s sons at a hotel room in Johannesburg. She claims the first lady’s bodyguards stood by and watched.
Ms Engels posted several photos on social media showing a gash in her forehead, which she claimed was a result of the attack.
“She flipped and just kept beating me with the plug. Over and over,” Ms Engels told local news channel News24. “I had no idea what was going on. I was surprised. I needed to crawl out of the room before I could run away.”
Police confirmed that a 20-year-old woman registered “a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm” and that the inquiry was at an advanced stage.
It was unclear whether Mrs Mugabe would qualify for diplomatic immunity if charges are brought against her.
There was no immediate comment by Zimbabwe’s government or ruling party.
It was not clear on last night whether Mrs Mugabe was still in South Africa or had returned to Zimbabwe.