‘They basically held us hostage’‚ assault witness says as police negotiate with Grace Mugabe

Confusion reigned on Tuesday afternoon as word spread of Zimbabwe first lady Grace Mugabe’s imminent arrest and court appearance.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula set the ball rolling by confirming that Mugabe had handed herself over to authorities.

But the first lady was nowhere to be seen at either the Randburg or Wynberg magistrates’ courts in Johannesburg‚ where she was thought to be appearing on assault charges.

Mugabe allegedly attacked 20-year-old model Gabriella Engels on Sunday night at the Capital 20 West hotel in Sandton.

Engels said Mugabe burst into a room where Mugabe’s sons‚ Chatunga Bellarmine and Robert Junior‚ were staying with about 10 bodyguards.

Engels suffered gashes to her forehead and head and opened a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at the Sandton police station on Monday.

Two women who were in the hotel room with Engels on Sunday night described the assault.

“We were chilling in the room... Next thing this lady pushes into the room and started hitting us‚” said one of the women who asked not to be named.

She said Engels and one of the other women managed to escape and run away.

“I stayed behind in the room and she started interrogating me.”

The second woman said: “It (the assault) lasted like half an hour... They basically held us hostage.”

The other two women decided not to lay charges‚ but were supporting Engels. Mbalula said on Tuesday Mugabe had handed herself over to the police and would be appear in court.

Following this revelation‚ his spokesman could not say which court Mugabe was meant to appear in‚ leading reporters to stake out two separate locations.

Later police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo and police ministry spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga said Mugabe and her legal team were negotiating with the police before handing herself over.

“It was supposed to happen today. It didn’t materialise yet‚” Naidoo said at around 3.30pm.

At the same time reports emerged from Zimbabwe that Mugabe had returned home.

However a source told TimesLIVE that these reports were false and that Mugabe was still in Johannesburg. Shortly after 4pm Naidoo said Mugabe’s legal team was still in the country.

By the close of business Mugabe had not appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.

NPA spokesperson Phindi Louw said they had not received a docket from police.

Naidoo said police were finalising their investigation.

“In the interim there are still negotiations taking place.”

Meanwhile in Zimbabwe‚ Mugabe’s legal troubles have caused considerable chatter among opposition parties and political activists.

Job Sikhala‚ an MDC politician‚ said Mugabe should be denied bail.

"She can interfere with witnesses because she is connected to power and authority‚" he said.

Thubelihle Nyoni‚ a civic society activist‚ said the Zimbabwean first family was an embarrassment. "The reason why they keep their children away from home is because they know people are angry at the system. But it's worse now that we learn that they are on taxpayers’ money and not doing anything to improve the country's image."