Zimbabwe’s first lady diplomatic immunity request in SA granted.
After beating a 20 year old South African model in Sandton hotel in Johannesburg with an extension cord, and charged by the model with assault, Grace Mugabe walks away back home under the umbrella of ‘diplomatic immunity.’
It is reported not the first time that Zimbabwe’s first lady walks away ‘untouched’ under diplomatic immunity suit. In 2009, Grace Mugabe was also shielded from prosecution by the immunity, in Hong Kong, despite accusations of attacking a photographer.
According to the sources, Grace was granted diplomatic immunity and she flew out of South Africa where the assault charges were pledged, and went back to Zimbabwe on Sunday, in the morning hours, along with her husband.
“President Robert Mugabe, accompanied by the first lady … arrived on an Air Zimbabwe flight in Harare very early,” reported the news in Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe had gone to South Africa on Wednesday to attend the 37th SADC (Southern African Development Community) summit, which was held in Pretoria.
Reacting to the government’s doing, South Africans along with Gabriella Engels, the model’s family are not happy, as they say that the government cares more about foreigners than the citizens.
“The citizens of this country don’t matter to them as long as they can keep their allies happy and keep the political roles opened for up them. They do not care about our feelings and injustices done to us,” Debbie Engels, the model’s mother was quoted as saying.
“Our legal team is not just going to leave it at that,” she added.
Gabriella Engel’s lawyers said that they are going to challenge the government’s immunity decision to Grace Mugabe, in court.
According to them, Grace was not supposed to receive any special treatment since she had been to the country not on government issues but for private businesses.
The Congress of South Africa Trade Union’s spokesperson, Sizwe Pamla, also slammed the government’s decision and described it as ‘disgraceful and camouflaged surrender’.
“This makes a mockery of our rule of law and the principle of equality before the law. It is clear now that the citizens of this country cannot be guaranteed protection by this government,” said Mr Pamla, reported by a Newspaper in South Africa.
He explained that it is understandable if the government maintains good relations with the neighboring countries, but not at the expense of the citizens.
“We cannot allow the political anarchy and dictatorship ways of the Mugabe-led administration in Zimbabwe to be imported into our country, we are better than that,” Mr Pamla added, quoted by the press.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu