Grace Mugabe fights back, says model attacked her with knife

Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Grace Mugabe, has denied assaulting South
African model Gabriella Engels with an electric cable in a
Johannesburg hotel suite last month.

She said, “an intoxicated and unhinged” Engels attacked her with
a knife.”

In a previously unreported August 17 deposition seen by Reuters,
Mugabe countered 20-year-old Engels’ version, portraying herself as
the victim after intervening on behalf of her adult sons Chatunga
and Robert Junior, who were “in trouble with a drunken young
woman”.

The statement said Grace Mugabe, 52, and a contender to replace
her 93-year-old husband as Zimbabwe’s president, was thinking about
filing attempted murder charges.

According to Engels, an irate Mugabe burst into the room where
she was waiting with two friends to meet Chatunga Mugabe on Aug. 13
and started laying into her with an electric cable.

Photographs taken by her mother soon after the incident showed a
gash to Engels’ forehead and head. She also had bruising on her
thighs.

In her deposition, Mugabe dismissed Engels’ version as
“malicious allegations’’ and said she had been attacked after going
to help her sons.

“She was worried about them and went to see them at their hotel
suite,’’ the statement said.

“Upon her arrival, Ms Engels, who was intoxicated and unhinged,
attacked Dr Grace Mugabe with a knife after she was asked to leave
the hotel.

“Security was left with no other option but to remove Ms Engels
from the hotel suite,’’ it continued.

The statement also alleged that Engels had been in a fight with
other women at Johannesburg’s Taboo nightclub the previous evening
and suggested that may have been the cause of her injuries.

Afriforum, an Afrikaans civil society group acting on behalf of
Engels, denied both accusations.

“Gabriella never attacked Grace Mugabe in any way and she did
not participate in the fight at Taboo,” Afriforum said.

“It is clear that Grace Mugabe is desperately trying to escape
responsibility for her own violent behaviour by using lies to
falsely portray the victim in this case as the perpetrator.”

South Africa granted Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity, allowing
her to evade immediate prosecution for assault, although Engels and
Afriforum have challenged that decision, saying Mugabe was not in
South Africa on official business.

They also argued that assault was a “grave crime” that was not
covered by diplomatic immunity laws.

The decision to let Grace Mugabe return home caused a row in
South Africa, with the opposition Democratic Alliance also going to
court to overturn the immunity.

Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Grace Mugabe, has denied assaulting South
African model Gabriella Engels with an electric cable in a
Johannesburg hotel suite last month.

She said, “an intoxicated and unhinged” Engels attacked her with
a knife.”

In a previously unreported August 17 deposition seen by Reuters,
Mugabe countered 20-year-old Engels’ version, portraying herself as
the victim after intervening on behalf of her adult sons Chatunga
and Robert Junior, who were “in trouble with a drunken young
woman”.

The statement said Grace Mugabe, 52, and a contender to replace
her 93-year-old husband as Zimbabwe’s president, was thinking about
filing attempted murder charges.

According to Engels, an irate Mugabe burst into the room where
she was waiting with two friends to meet Chatunga Mugabe on Aug. 13
and started laying into her with an electric cable.

Photographs taken by her mother soon after the incident showed a
gash to Engels’ forehead and head. She also had bruising on her
thighs.

In her deposition, Mugabe dismissed Engels’ version as
“malicious allegations’’ and said she had been attacked after going
to help her sons.

“She was worried about them and went to see them at their hotel
suite,’’ the statement said.

“Upon her arrival, Ms Engels, who was intoxicated and unhinged,
attacked Dr Grace Mugabe with a knife after she was asked to leave
the hotel.

“Security was left with no other option but to remove Ms Engels
from the hotel suite,’’ it continued.

The statement also alleged that Engels had been in a fight with
other women at Johannesburg’s Taboo nightclub the previous evening
and suggested that may have been the cause of her injuries.

Afriforum, an Afrikaans civil society group acting on behalf of
Engels, denied both accusations.

“Gabriella never attacked Grace Mugabe in any way and she did
not participate in the fight at Taboo,” Afriforum said.

“It is clear that Grace Mugabe is desperately trying to escape
responsibility for her own violent behaviour by using lies to
falsely portray the victim in this case as the perpetrator.”

South Africa granted Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity, allowing
her to evade immediate prosecution for assault, although Engels and
Afriforum have challenged that decision, saying Mugabe was not in
South Africa on official business.

They also argued that assault was a “grave crime” that was not
covered by diplomatic immunity laws.

The decision to let Grace Mugabe return home caused a row in
South Africa, with the opposition Democratic Alliance also going to
court to overturn the immunity.