Zimbabwe’s first lady seeks diplomatic immunity over assault claim

Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe has requested diplomatic immunity over an allegation that she assaulted a young model in Johannesburg earlier this week, South African police said.

Officers said Mrs Mugabe is still in South Africa, following a day of intense speculation over her whereabouts after a 20-year-old woman accused the wife of Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe of assault.

A police statement said the Zimbabwean government has asked for diplomatic immunity for a suspect involved in the assault.

The police have declined to name Mrs Mugabe in the case as she has not yet appeared in court.

A spokesman for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation told The Associated Press that the immunity request is under consideration.

Gabriella Engels, a 20-year-old model, registered a case with police on Monday accusing Mrs Mugabe, 52, of attacking her with an extension cord in a luxury hotel in a Johannesburg suburb late Sunday evening.

Ms Engels claimed she was in a hotel room with mutual friends of the Mugabes’ two sons, who live in Johannesburg, when the first lady burst into the room and assaulted her.

Photos of Ms Engels posted on social media show a bloody gash to her forehead that she claimed was a result of the encounter.