By: Nico Gous And Jan Bornman
Grace Mugabe‚ the wife of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe‚ has presented herself to South African police and is due to appear in a Johannesburg court on Tuesday.
This comes after a Johannesburg model claimed that she was assaulted by Grace after being in the company of her two sons at the weekend.
Gabriella Engels‚ 20‚ alleged she was assaulted at the Capital 20 West hotel in Sandton on Sunday night.
Engels said she suffered gashes to her forehead and scalp.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) and a criminal lawyer said diplomatic immunity would not apply in this case.
“Firstly‚ for it to apply‚ she needs to be here on official business. It won’t apply if she’s here on holiday or for something else‚” Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela told TimesLIVE on Monday.
“Secondly‚ as a First Lady‚ she’s not part of government or a government official. It doesn’t apply just because she’s the wife of a president‚” Monyela said.
Criminal law expert Ulrich Roux also dismissed the idea that diplomatic immunity would apply.
He said a president or their spouse was just another foreign citizen.
- TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
Zimbabwe first lady Grace Mugabe set to appear in court over Johannesburg assault charge
Grace Mugabe‚ the wife of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe‚ has presented herself to South African police and is due to appear in a Johannesburg court on Tuesday.
This comes after a Johannesburg model claimed that she was assaulted by Grace after being in the company of her two sons at the weekend.
Gabriella Engels‚ 20‚ alleged she was assaulted at the Capital 20 West hotel in Sandton on Sunday night.
Engels said she suffered gashes to her forehead and scalp.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) and a criminal lawyer said diplomatic immunity would not apply in this case.
“Firstly‚ for it to apply‚ she needs to be here on official business. It won’t apply if she’s here on holiday or for something else‚” Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela told TimesLIVE on Monday.
“Secondly‚ as a First Lady‚ she’s not part of government or a government official. It doesn’t apply just because she’s the wife of a president‚” Monyela said.
Criminal law expert Ulrich Roux also dismissed the idea that diplomatic immunity would apply.
He said a president or their spouse was just another foreign citizen.
- TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
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