South Africa is planning to grant diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe's First Lady Grace Mugabe, allowing her to furnish to Harare in addition to avoid prosecution for the alleged educate on of a 20-year-old model, a authorities source said on Friday.
Police possess got position edge posts on "red alert" to forestall Mugabe fleeing in addition to indicated she volition have no particular handling inwards the representative involving Gabriella Engels, who says Mugabe whipped her alongside an electrical extension cable.
Engels said she was assaulted past times Mugabe on Lord's Day eve every bit she waited alongside ii friends inwards a luxury Johannesburg hotel suite to run across 1 of Mugabe's adult sons.
A senior authorities source said at that topographic point was "no way" Mugabe, 52, would hold out arrested because of the diplomatic fallout that would ensue from Zimbabwe, which has been led for virtually iv decades past times 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
Other countries inwards southern Africa that supported South Africa's ruling ANC inwards the long combat against apartheid would too view Grace Mugabe's prosecution every bit a betrayal, the source said.
"There would apparently hold out implications for our relations alongside Zimbabwe. Sadly the other countries inwards the portion are watching us in addition to how nosotros are going to act," the source said, asking non to hold out named.
"What is probable to spill out is that she volition hold out allowed to larn dorsum home, in addition to thence nosotros denote that we've granted diplomatic immunity in addition to hold off for someone to challenge us.”
South Africa's unusual ministry building spokesman declined to comment when contacted past times Reuters.
South Africa is habitation to an estimated iii 1 1000 m Zimbabweans, exactly it has been powerless to forestall Zimbabwe's economical in addition to political decline over the final ii decades.
Enraging Mugabe past times hauling his married adult woman earlier the courts would solely trim down its influence further, analysts say.
The source accepted the persuasion widely held past times legal experts that Mugabe was non entitled to diplomatic immunity because she was inwards South Africa for medical treatment, in addition to said the authorities was expecting her immunity to hold out challenged inwards court.
Engels' woman raise Debbie, who released photographs of her miss alongside gashes to her caput requiring xiv stitches, said it would hold out "very sad" if Grace Mugabe was allowed to leave.
However, her daughter's legal squad - which includes Gerrie Nel, the prosecutor who secured a murder conviction against Olympic in addition to Paralympic rails star Oscar Pistorius - would counter such a move, she said.
"Gerrie Nel in addition to the squad possess got contingency plans," she told Reuters, without elaborating. "They volition run alongside it."
DISGRACE
Afriforum, an Afrikaans rights grouping that Nel joined inwards Jan afterwards quitting every bit a acre prosecutor, said it would hold out illegal for Pretoria to plough over Mugabe immunity in addition to branded the plans a "disgrace".
"The authorities has ii responsibilities: one, to protect its ain citizens in addition to two, to deed according to the law. And the granting of diplomatic immunity would transgress the law," primary executive Kallie Kriel said.
Harare has made no official comment on the saga in addition to requests for comment from Zimbabwean authorities officials possess got gone unanswered. The South African authorities has restricted all official comment to the police describe ministry.
Robert Mugabe arrived ii days early on inwards Pretoria for a regional southern African summit this calendar week to assist resolve his wife's legal problems, the source said.
Justice government minister Michael Masutha told Reuters this calendar week he was involved inwards discussions over the issue.
A lawyer for Mugabe identified past times Reuters refused to comment.
The Engels incident is non the laid out fourth dimension Grace Mugabe - who is lauded inwards official Zimbabwean media every bit 'Mother of the Nation' - has been inwards legal hot water.
In 2009, a paper lensman inwards Hong Kong said Grace in addition to her bodyguard had assaulted him. Police said the incident was reported exactly no charges were brought.
Reuters