First lady disgraces Zimbabwe

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

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

But the first lady was nowhere to be seen at either the Randburg or Wynberg Magistrate's Courts in Johannesburg, where she was thought to be appearing on an assault charge.

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

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

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 described the assault.

"We were chilling in the room. Next thing this lady pushes into the room and started hitting us," said one woman who asked not to be named.

The second woman said: "It [the assault] lasted like half an hour. They basically held us hostage."

The two women decided not to lay charges, but were supporting Engels.

Police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said on Tuesday that Mugabe and her legal team were negotiating with the police before handing herself over.

"It was supposed to happen today [Tuesday]. It didn't materialise yet," he said at about 3.30pm.

- Additional reporting Nhlalo Ndaba