₦airaland Forum

Johannesburg, – Police have put a “red alert” on South Africa’s borders to prevent any attempt by Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe, who is accused of assaulting a model in a Johannesburg hotel, to flee the country.

Grace Mugabe Wife Of Zimbabwean president
Her husband, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has meanwhile showed up in South Africa for a regional summit, complicating the diplomatic dilemma now confronting the government.

Grace, 52, has asked for diplomatic immunity in the case, although she has not been charged.

Her present whereabouts were not known to the authorities.

The alleged victim, 20-year-old model Gabriella Engels, has accused Mugabe of barging into a hotel where Engels was meeting with her sons, and whipping her with an electric cord.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula told reporters on Wednesday Grace had been due to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon under a deal struck with authorities, but she failed to turn up.

On Thursday, Mbalula said police had put a “red alert” on South Africa’s borders to stop her from trying to leave.

“We had already put tabs on the borders, in relation to her leaving the country, so there’s no question about that,” he told reporters.

So far she had made no attempt to flee, he added.

The South African government has made no official comment on the case and foreign ministry spokesmen have not answered their phones for two days, but the issue is causing waves at the highest level.

Justice Minister Michael Masutha told Reuters he was attending a meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss the matter but did not provide details.

The police, whose conduct was subjected to intense scrutiny during the murder trial of track star Oscar Pistorius, have said Grace Mugabe will get no special treatment.

A police statement on Wednesday said she would be “processed through the legal system” despite attempts to claim privileged diplomatic status that might put her above the law.

Legal experts said she had come to South Africa for medical treatment to an injured foot, almost certainly invalidating her claims to diplomatic immunity.

Criminal attorney Riaan Louw said however, given the potential for diplomatic fallout, South African prosecutors could yet decide to drop the case if they thought the injuries to the alleged victim were not too severe.

The Harare government has made no official comment and multiple requests for comment from Mugabe’s spokesman and Information Minister Chris Mushowe have gone unanswered.

A lawyer identified to Reuters as the first lady’s representative declined to answer any questions. Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Pretoria, Isaac Moyo, did not answer his phone.

Adding to the South African government’s headache, President Mugabe, 93, arrived at a military air base near Pretoria late on Wednesday for a regional summit.

Reporting the arrival, Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper, the Harare government’s main mouthpiece, made no mention the controversy swirling around his wife.

South Africa has a difficult relationship with its northern neighbor.

It is home to an estimated three million Zimbabwean exiles who regard Mugabe as a dictator who has ruined what was once one of Africa’s most promising democracies.

Although he is also widely reviled in the West, Mugabe is still seen by many Africans as the continent’s elder statesman and a hero of its anti-colonial struggles.

Previous South African leaders, including Nelson Mandela, whose relationship with Mugabe was forged during the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles, had often deflected Western criticism of him.

Mugabe’s relationship with President Jacob Zuma has been testier however.

Debbie Engels, the mother of the alleged victim, is keeping up public pressure, releasing graphic pictures to the media of her daughter’s injuries, including gashes to her forehead and head.

“I just want justice for my daughter. It’s not about money. It’s about justice. She attacked my child for no reason,” Engels told Reuters.

Another picture, taken on Wednesday, showed a large, livid bruise on Gabriella’s thigh.

She has also enlisted the help of former prosecutor Gerrie Nel, the lawyer who secured Pistorius’ murder conviction.

Reuters has not been able to verify key aspects of the assault allegations independently.

Engels has provided details of the incident, relayed from her daughter, in which she describes Grace barging in to a posh hotel room where Gabriella and two female friends were waiting to meet up with one of Mugabe’s two adult sons.

“This woman comes in screaming, calling them names and whatnot and demanding to know where her sons were,” Debbie Engels said.

“They kept telling her ‘They’re not here,’” she said.

Gabriella said that Mugabe’s security guards, who had followed her into the room, stood by and watched throughout, Engels said.

“She had an electric cord wrapped around her hand and she started attacking them. She hit my daughter with a plug socket,” Engels said. (Reuters/NAN)

jingh:
pls any one who has the link about an ex cultist who wrote his life story on NL.
should give me. I think his moniker is soldier something.

corperscorner:
God bless you baba....that kid needed that so badly he wouldn't admit.

Chudyfuto:
HAVE SEEN IT

Chudyfuto:
drop your username let me check you up

Chudyfuto:
Cause there is no other yellow venza called peace in that level.the other venza bearing that nick is black in colour.

Chudyfuto:
the other venza bearing that nick is black in colour.

Chudyfuto:
though the car is a nice car.very calm,gentle and jovial.you cnt be bored been with the car.

Chudyfuto:
lolz, yea i am also in 300level. that car you are talking about is my car.though in futo you cant claim full ownership of any car.hope you understand the riddle?

Chudyfuto:
mmm...from which state,fair or dark in completion?

Chudyfuto:
lolz whats her name?

NwaAmaikpe:
Aro Baggars no get joy.. Odin must be mad now.
Anybody who lived in Pace Hostel, ABSU would know better. Sail on mate!

Chudyfuto:
Am in Biochemistry department.

lozanni:
Its very sad to note that in Nigeria, cultism is so entrenched in our higher institutions; when those cultists graduate, they find out that it has no real benefit in the larger society. I know one who was frustrated by unemployment for many years after graduating from the university, that certainly was karma at play.
In the US I learnt that they have many fraternities, some which only the brighest brains on campus can belong to. These fraternities have branches in the outer world and usually assist their newly graduated members to get jobs or assist them to set up their own businesses or practices. Why can our students not emulate such high ideals by forming good fraternities like these?
@Op, I will encourage you to forgive those bad guys who treated you very unfairly because the chinese have a proverb: ' If you want to seek revenge against someone, you need to first dig two graves, one for you and another for the other guy'. The chinese made this proverb because they are aware that in trying to get revenge, a person might lose his life, even though he might kill or maim his perceived target.
You are young and vengeance belongs to God, as you have seen in this case.
Please free yourself and move on with your life.

lozanni:
You must really know the guy very well and also had an axe to grind with him.
Was he a cultist?

doctokwus:
If it did,definitely not as the ragtag blog cited as source says it.I wonder y Nigerians can bliv any story without even using common sense to query d possibility of it happening.Do u even understand d state of a man stabbed with insides protruding out.Gosh!

greggng:
Is a shame u ve no shame. I know to u forgiveness is sin but the soul that sinneth shall die. Thank God for ur life. Someone use to confiscate my jeans those day in the campus simply cos he wants me to join his cult group. Today my brother married his sister and we re just like one family. He has since ask me to forgive him and we ve moved on. Move on with ur life and make the best out of it.