Mugabe’s wife allegedly beats woman almost to death, arrested by SA police
Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe handed herself in to South African police on Tuesday.She will be charged with assault after reports that she attacked a young woman in Johannesburg, the police minister said.Gabriella Engels‚ 20‚ earlier told reporters that 52-year-old Grace, a possible successor to her husband, 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe, had cooperated with police in the attack.The first lady allegedly used an extension cord to attack the woman and the pictures of her attack was shared all over social media.According to President Robert Mugabe, the First Lady is in South Africa to have her foot examined following a freak accident at the Harare international airport a few weeks ago."We were chilling in a hotel room‚ and they were in the room next door‚" Engels said."She came in and started hitting us. The front of my forehead is busted open. I'm a model and I make my money based on my looks‚" she said.She said Grace Mugabe proceeded to beat her and two of her friends with an extension chord‚ while the two sons ran away and the Mugabe bodyguards looked on.She said she suffered gashes to her forehead and scalp."What is a girl compared to a woman beating you and 10+ bodyguards standing back‚ leaving her to do this sh*t‚" she tweeted about the incident.Engels said she went to the nearest police station on Sunday night‚ but was shown away by the police officer on duty‚ who told her to first seek medical attention.
I have to more injuries at the back of my head pic.twitter.com/fz3olUz9tN
— Gah-bee (@DaNamesGaby) August 14, 2017
Gabriella's mother‚ Debbie‚ said they were going to the police station to open an assault case on Monday."When she got home [on Sunday] I was already sleeping. She was in so much shock‚ she couldn't tell me what happened‚" Debbie said."I rushed her to the hospital to get stitches and when she eventually calmed down‚ she told me she was assaulted by Mugabe's wife‚" she said.Social media in Harare and Johannesburg erupted after Engels posted her version of events online.Many Zimbabweans questioned whether the first lady would be charged or if she would get diplomatic immunity.But Department of International Relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela told the Sowetan Grace Mugabe could not claim immunity.“She needs to be here on official business. It won't apply if she's here on holiday or for something else‚" he said. "Secondly‚ as a first lady‚ she's not part of government or a government official. It doesn't apply just because she's the wife of a president‚" Monyela said.