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Zimbabwe's Grace Mugabe due in South Africa court over assault Zimbabwe's Grace Mugabe due in South Africa court over assault
(35 minutes later)
Zimbabwe's first lady, Grace Mugabe, is due in court in South Africa following reports of an alleged assault, South Africa's police minister says. Zimbabwe's first lady, Grace Mugabe, is due in court in South Africa following allegations of an assault, South Africa's police minister says.
Fikile Mbalula said: "She's not under arrest because she co-operated and handed herself over to the police." She has "handed herself over to the police" but is not under arrest, Fikile Mbalula said.
She is alleged to have attacked a young woman at a Johannesburg area hotel. South African model Gabriella Engels, 20, has accused Mrs Mugabe of hitting her on the head with an extension cord during a confrontation at a hotel.
The woman, 20, accused Mrs Mugabe, 52, of hitting her in the face and put images of a head wound on social media. Mrs Mugabe has not yet commented. She released an image of a face injury online. Mrs Mugabe has not commented.
South African police confirmed that the 20-year-old had registered a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Ms Engels accused Mrs Mugabe, 52, of hitting her after finding her with her two sons in a hotel room in Sandton, a plush suburb north of Johannesburg, the BBC's Pumza Fihlani reports.
Mrs Mugabe allegedly attacked the woman with an extension cord after finding her with her two sons in a hotel room in Sandton, a plush suburb north of Johannesburg, reports the BBC's Pumza Fihlani.
The attack is said to have happened on Sunday evening.The attack is said to have happened on Sunday evening.
What does Engels say?
In a phone interview for South Africa's News24 news site, she said: "When Grace entered I had no idea who she was. She walked in with an extension cord and just started beating me with it.
"She flipped and just kept beating me with the plug. Over and over. I had no idea what was going on. I was surprised… I needed to crawl out of the room before I could run away.
"Her ten bodyguards just stood there watching, no-one did anything, no-one tried to help me."
"There was blood everywhere," she added. "Over my arms, in my hair, everywhere."
What do the police say?
In a statement, they confirmed that on Monday an unnamed 20-year-old South African woman had registered a "case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm".
She was "allegedly assaulted by a prominent woman at a hotel in Sandton," they said, without naming Mrs Mugabe.
Who is Grace Mugabe?Who is Grace Mugabe?
Mrs Mugabe is seen as a staunch defender of President Robert Mugabe, 93, and is the leader of the powerful women's league of Zimbabwe's governing Zanu-PF party. Why was she in South Africa?
Zimbabwe Information Minister Christopher Mushowe told the BBC that he was unaware of the allegation. She was due to be treated for an ankle injury, sustained during a road accident last month, according to Zimbabwean media.
Mrs Mugabe was in South Africa to be treated for an ankle injury, sustained during a road accident last month, when the alleged assault took place, according to Zimbabwean media.
It is not clear whether she was travelling on a diplomatic or a normal passport.It is not clear whether she was travelling on a diplomatic or a normal passport.
Mrs Mugabe is seen as a staunch defender of her husband, 93, and is the leader of the powerful women's league of Zimbabwe's governing Zanu-PF party.
Zimbabwean Information Minister Christopher Mushowe told the BBC he was unaware of the allegations against her.