CENTURION, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 17, 2017: Assault victim Gabriella Engels attends the AfriForum press conference on August 17, 2017 in Centurion, South Africa. Zimbawe first lady, Grace Mugabe is accused of assaulting Gabrielle, advocate and president of AfriForum Gerrie Nel will be taking Gabrielle’s case. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Deaan Vivier)
The lobby group vowed to chase the NPA up about Mugabe’s extradition.
CENTURION, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 17, 2017: Assault victim Gabriella Engels attends the AfriForum press conference on August 17, 2017 in Centurion, South Africa. Zimbawe first lady, Grace Mugabe is accused of assaulting Gabrielle, advocate and president of AfriForum Gerrie Nel will be taking Gabrielle’s case. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Deaan Vivier)
The lobby group AfriForum, says that, in the case of Grace Mugabe, it wants to send a clear message to powerful figures like the former First Lady of Zimbabwe: “You are not above the law”.
As reported by the Citizen, the lobby group revealed that according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mugabe’s extradition to South Africa has begun.
In 2017, South African model, Gabriella Engels, accused Mugabe of viciously assaulting her with an extension cord at a high-end hotel in Johannesburg.
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Calls for the former First Lady’s prosecution landed on deaf ears since former DIRCO minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, granted the wife of Zimbabwe’s former leader diplomatic immunity, allowing her to leave the country.
This decision was later set aside by the South Gauteng High Court in 2018. For senior Advocate Gerrie Nel, the lobby group’s head of private prosecutions, this was a massive victory.
“The Foreign States Immunities Act (1981) explicitly excludes the granting of immunity to heads of state who are guilty of the death or injury of people in South Africa. Grace Mugabe, as the wife of a former head of state, could therefore in no way claim the diplomatic immunity to which she appealed.”
“We hope that the prosecution of Grace Mugabe will commence shortly and we will monitor the case. AfriForum gets involved in issues like this to ensure that people with political power do not get away with committing crimes,” Nel said.
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Contrary to AfriForum’s assertions about Mugabe’s extradition, the NPA has refused to comment on the matter.
They described it as a highly confidential case and refused to be drawn by the lobby group into confirming or denying the statement.
“Grace Mugabe must be brought to book for her deeds and this is the first step in ensuring that miss Engels will get justice soon,” Nel added.