By Gerrie Nel, the prosecutor who is remembered to have gone thick and thin about seeing Oscar Pistorius behind bars over his murder case, is back again.
Nel declared on Wednesday that he is to help see that Gabriella Engels, the model that was assaulted by Zimbabwe’s first lady, Grace Mugabe, finds justice in the case she filed against her.
Following the case, the model’s prosecutor informed the press yesterday that a third party (not named) intervened and offered a blank cheque to Engels on behalf of Grace, which she rejected, according to her lawyer.
It was stated that the cheque was to help settle the assault case from outside of court, that is if the model withdrew the charges. Nel, Gabriella (the victim), her mother and the rest of her family say that the case is (not about money, it is about justice).
“No one is above the law and we should demonstrate that. If the case goes to court and Mugabe is given a jail sentence, so it shall be,” Gerrie Nel told the press.
“I just want justice for my daughter. It is not about money, it is about justice. She attacked my daughter for no reason,” said Debbie Engels, Gabriella’s mother, on Thursday.
Gabriella Engels was hit by Grace Mugabe with an electric extension cord on Sunday in Sandton hotel in Johannesburg. Engels then filed an assault case against her on Monday.
On Tuesday, Grace is said to have appeared at the police station and said she would cooperate. However, later on Tuesday, the culprit went out of sight and could not be traced neither by the police nor by the media. Reports wrote that she had escaped back to Zimbabwe, but the South African police said she was still in the country, somewhere.
On Wednesday night, Robert Mugabe, Grace Mugabe’s husband and the President of Zimbabwe flew to South Africa for the 37th SADC Heads of state and Government Summit. However, it is said that Mugabe arrived earlier to see how he could help solve his wife’s scandal. This is to the fact that the summit is scheduled to commence on the 19 of August.
After her husband’s arrival, Grace Mugabe’s hide and seek ended as the Zimbabwe government sought to have a diplomatic immunity for her.
The South African officials are still debating on whether to grant Grace’s immunity or otherwise.
Jacob Zuma’s opposition party (Democratic Alliance) is asking the government not to grant the immunity saying that Grace must face the fruits of what she sown.
“Ms Mugabe should have applied for diplomatic immunity before coming to our country and not after she has found herself facing criminal charges,” Zakhele Mbhele, the DA opposition member, said in a statement.
At this moment and until Grace clears her name as regards to the charges, she is not allowed to fly out of South Africa.
According to Fikile Mbalula, the Police Minister, a ‘red alert’ has already been issued and all the boarders of the country have been notified not to allow Ms Mugabe leave the country until the matter is resolved.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu