Zimbabwe's outset lady Grace Mugabe has requested diplomatic immunity afterward beingness defendant of assaulting a 20-year-old model, South African police trace said Wednesday, confirming she had non fled the country.
"The suspect('s) lawyers as well as her authorities representatives made verbal representations... that the suspect wished to invoke diplomatic immunity cover," a disputation from the police trace ministry building said.
The 52-year-old married adult woman of President Robert Mugabe is defendant of attacking Gabriella Engels on Lord's Day even out at a Johannesburg hotel where the outset lady's 2 sons were staying.
Engels has registered a instance alongside the police trace alleging laid upward on alongside intent to create grievous bodily harm, proverb she suffered deep cuts to her brow as well as the dorsum of her head.
The police trace said that Grace Mugabe had been expected to written report to a police trace station on Tuesday to laissez passer on her version of the events as well as "obtain a alarm statement", but that she failed to exhibit up.
They added that she was scheduled to attend a regional summit of the Southern African Development Community inwards Pretoria where her hubby as well as other heads of province volition live on present.
"We know where the suspect is," South Africa's police trace spokesman Vishnu Naidoo told AFP before Wednesday.
"We are all the same continuing alongside the investigations. No warrant of arrest has been issued," he added, afterward around reports suggested she had hurriedly returned to Harare slow Tuesday.
'Kept beating me'
The alleged onset threatens to spark a diplomatic tiff betwixt the 2 neighbouring countries, which stimulate got potent political as well as economical ties, though Zimbabwean officials stimulate got made no comment on the case.
Grace Mugabe allegedly arrived at the Capital xx West Hotel alongside bodyguards as well as defendant Engels of partying alongside her sons Robert as well as Chatunga, who are both inwards their 20s as well as alive inwards Johannesburg.
Pictures on social media appeared to exhibit Engels haemorrhage from her caput afterward the alleged laid upward on at the hotel inwards the upmarket line of piece of occupation organisation district of Sandton.
Engels said she was attacked alongside an electrical extension cord.
"She flipped as well as only kept beating me alongside the plug. Over as well as over. I had no catch what was going on. I was surprised... I needed to crawl out of the room before I could run away," she told the News 24 website.
Grace Mugabe is 41 years younger than her 93-year-old husband, as well as the span has 2 sons as well as a daughter.
She regularly speaks at rallies as well as is seen every bit a possible competition to stimulate got over from her increasingly fragile husband, who has ruled Republic of Zimbabwe since independence from British colonial dominion inwards 1980.
AFP