S. Africa granted diplomatic immunity to Grace Mugabe

South African authorities have allowed Zimbabwe’s first lady
Grace Mugabe return to Harare, without pressing the charge of
assault against her.

Zimbabwe media confirmed Grace’s arrival in Harare, a week after
a 20-year-old model, Gabriella Engels, accused her of assault in an
upmarket Johannesburg hotel room.

Although South African police claimed to have placed border
posts on “red alert” to prevent her leaving the country, it is now
confirmed that the wife of 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe had
been granted diplomatic immunity.

Zimbabwean state media reported that the president and first
lady arrived in Harare aboard an Air Zimbabwe plane in the early
hours of Sunday. A source confirmed this to Reuters.

A bruised Gabriella Engels has accused Grace Mugabe of whipping
her with an electric extension cable a week ago as she waited with
two friends in a luxury hotel suite to meet one of Mugabe’s adult
sons.

President Mugabe attended a South African Development Community
summit in Pretoria on Saturday, but his 52-year-old wife was not
there or part of his delegation.

Harare has made no official comment on the saga and requests for
comment from Zimbabwean government officials have gone unanswered.
The South African government has limited all official comment to
the police ministry and international relations department
spokespeople did not answer calls for comment.

South Africa’s main opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA),
blamed the ministers of police, international relations and defense
for the failure to detain Mugabe and said it wants the matter
investigated.

“The DA will be demanding an immediate parliamentary inquiry
into (the) government’s complicity in allowing Zimbabwean First
Lady Grace Mugabe to flee the country in the dead of night to avoid
criminal prosecution,” DA whip John Steenhuisen said in a
statement.

Compounding the awkward diplomatic situation, commercial flights
between Zimbabwe and South Africa were grounded on Friday and
Saturday, affecting both national carriers, after unexpected checks
for operating permits.

South African Airways resumed flights to Zimbabwe, it said in a
statement on Sunday, and an Air Zimbabwe flight also departed from
Harare to South Africa on Sunday morning.

South African authorities have allowed Zimbabwe’s first lady
Grace Mugabe return to Harare, without pressing the charge of
assault against her.

Zimbabwe media confirmed Grace’s arrival in Harare, a week after
a 20-year-old model, Gabriella Engels, accused her of assault in an
upmarket Johannesburg hotel room.

Although South African police claimed to have placed border
posts on “red alert” to prevent her leaving the country, it is now
confirmed that the wife of 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe had
been granted diplomatic immunity.

Zimbabwean state media reported that the president and first
lady arrived in Harare aboard an Air Zimbabwe plane in the early
hours of Sunday. A source confirmed this to Reuters.

A bruised Gabriella Engels has accused Grace Mugabe of whipping
her with an electric extension cable a week ago as she waited with
two friends in a luxury hotel suite to meet one of Mugabe’s adult
sons.

President Mugabe attended a South African Development Community
summit in Pretoria on Saturday, but his 52-year-old wife was not
there or part of his delegation.

Harare has made no official comment on the saga and requests for
comment from Zimbabwean government officials have gone unanswered.
The South African government has limited all official comment to
the police ministry and international relations department
spokespeople did not answer calls for comment.

South Africa’s main opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA),
blamed the ministers of police, international relations and defense
for the failure to detain Mugabe and said it wants the matter
investigated.

“The DA will be demanding an immediate parliamentary inquiry
into (the) government’s complicity in allowing Zimbabwean First
Lady Grace Mugabe to flee the country in the dead of night to avoid
criminal prosecution,” DA whip John Steenhuisen said in a
statement.

Compounding the awkward diplomatic situation, commercial flights
between Zimbabwe and South Africa were grounded on Friday and
Saturday, affecting both national carriers, after unexpected checks
for operating permits.

South African Airways resumed flights to Zimbabwe, it said in a
statement on Sunday, and an Air Zimbabwe flight also departed from
Harare to South Africa on Sunday morning.