Arrest warrant issued for Grace Mugabe

Minority rights group AfriForum has announced that a warrant of arrest for former Zimbabwean first lady, Grace Mugabe, has been issued.

AfriForum made the announcement during a press briefing on Wednesday in Centurion.

“We can report now that the warrant of arrest has been issued for Grace Mugabe. It seems that justice is going to take place and we are looking forward to this matter going forward,” AfriForum’s chief executive Kallie Kriel said.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo confirmed that the arrest warrant was issued on December 13.

In July, the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg set aside the decision by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to grant Mugabe diplomatic immunity, following AfriForum and the DA’s application to review the matter.

The court ruled that the decision was inconsistent with the Constitution.

In August, the Sunday Times reported that the South African government had accepted the court’s ruling, with the matter then being referred back to the National Prosecuting Authority for further investigations.

Mugabe had been granted diplomatic immunity after she allegedly assaulted Gabriella Engels with an electrical cord in a luxury hotel in Sandton in August last year.

Engels suffered cuts and bruises to her head after Mugabe had reportedly found the model partying with her two sons at the hotel.

Engels had subsequently laid charges against the former first lady‚ but Mugabe was controversially allowed to leave the country after being granted diplomatic immunity.

“We believe there should be justice for Gabriella Engels. This was a long run, we first had to go to court to set aside the diplomatic immunity of Grace Mugabe and that opened a way for this prosecution to go ahead,” Kriel told Power FM.