Will #GraceMugabe accompany her husband on SA visit?

October 3, 2017
| Report Focus News

Johannesburg – It remains unknown if Zimbabwe First Lady Grace Mugabe will join her husband Robert, who is expected in South Africa on Tuesday for bilateral discussions with President Jacob Zuma.

This will be President Mugabe’s first visit to South Africa following the storm around his wife, who faced criminal charges of allegedly assaulting a model at a hotel in Sandton in August.

Mugabe had to attend a summit of the Southern African Development Community, held in South Africa, to rescue Grace, who had been summonsed to appear before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court for assaulting Gabriella Engels earlier that month.

Grace was eventually granted diplomatic immunity and left South Africa with her husband.

It is uncertain whether Grace’s recent brush with the law in South Africa will form part of Tuesday’s discussions between Mugabe and Zuma. The two are expected to review the countries’ bilateral relationship during the Bi-National Commission to be held at the presidential guest house in Pretoria.

The president office’s spokesperson, Bongani Ngqulunga, could not be reached to comment on whether Mugabe would bring his wife.

Meanwhile AfriForum, who are giving legal support to Engels, told The Star on Sunday that they were awaiting the court’s ruling on their request to add Grace as a party to the application they brought against International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

In August, AfriForum filed a review application at the Pretoria High Court asking the court to set aside Nkoana-Mashabane’s decision to grant Grace diplomatic immunity.