Sorry Mbalula, Grace Mugabe is not even in SA
The Zimbabwean First Lady was spotted in her motorcade heading back from the airport in Harare.
Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Grace Mugabe. Picture: Gallo Images
Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula announced on Tuesday morning that Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Grace Mugabe, had handed herself over to the police after an alleged altercation with a 20-year-old model in Sandton earlier this week.
It has been reported that the young woman, Gabriella Engels, wants Mugabe to be jailed for her alleged actions.
However, the police have now said Mugabe’s whereabouts were “not known” on Tuesday, according to national police spokesman Vishnu Naidoo.
Mbalula had earlier said the Benoni-born Mugabe, 52, had handed herself over.
“The negotiations over the suspect handing herself over have not concluded and our investigations have not finalised,” Naidoo, however, confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
Mbalula had earlier on Tuesday said Mugabe was “not under arrest, because she cooperated and handed herself over to the police. That is cooperation, more than any necessity to go and arrest a person.”
She was set to appear in court at 1pm today. However, that did not happen.
The police told journalists “more negotiations” were now under way for “the suspect” to hand herself over while the continued to conduct investigations.
I cannot help feeling that the announcement that Grace Mugabe had handed herself in, was just a ruse to allow her to get away.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) August 15, 2017
It was reported that Mugabe’s motorcade was spotted on its way back from the airport in Harare.
Journalist Simon Allison wrote that there was no way she was going to “hang around to clean up her mess”.
Grace Mugabe's motorcade has been spotted coming back from the airport in Harare. No ways was she going to hang around to clean up her mess
— Simon Allison (@simonallison) August 15, 2017
Can't wait to see how @MbalulaFikile and his Dept will spin this one to the general public. https://t.co/tVdV8S13d7
— Nwai (@NwaizerNKU) August 15, 2017
Mugabe’s alleged victim, who identified herself only as Gah-bee on Twitter, was apparently found in the company of Mugabe’s two sons — Robert Jnr, 25, and Chatunga Bellarmine, 21 — at a Sandton hotel, before she was allegedly attacked. The Mugabe boys were reportedly unsteady on their feet after a long party.
Gah-bee posted pictures showing a deep gash on her forehead. The woman alleged the wife of President Robert Mugabe attacked her in the presence of numerous bodyguards.
#GraceMugabe accused of assaulting a young woman. Mothers should be nurturing our children not adding to the violence. #ThisFlag🇿🇼 #SaveZim pic.twitter.com/iazp7g2FDk
— Peter Ndoro (@peterndoro) August 14, 2017
Speaking outside court, ZCP general secretary Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena said they were grateful to South African authorities for upholding the rule of law because Mugabe would have gotten off scot-free if the incident had happened in Zimbabwe.
They spoke too soon, however.
