Grace Mugabe now at the mercy of South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority

The South African government has accepted a court ruling that the diplomatic immunity granted to former Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe was invalid – and as a result‚ it has referred the matter to the National Prosecutions Authority for further action.

This is according to International Relations Minister Linidiwe Sisulu‚ who also indicated that government would carry the costs of the application‚ as directed by the courts.

“The conferment of diplomatic immunity on [Mugabe] is null and void as the court has decided. We leave it to the NPA to see the way forward‚” Sisulu told reporters in Pretoria today.

Grace Mugabe is accused of assaulting South African model Gabriella Engels at a hotel in Johannesburg in August last year.

The handing over of the matter to the NPA means the prosecutions body could request the extradition of Mugabe to face trial in South Africa‚ if it so wishes.

Sisulu refused to comment on the violence that marred the elections in Zimbabwe‚ except to say that President Cyril Rampahosa would speak on this matter sometime tomorrow.

She only noted that South Africa‚ as chair of the Southern African Development Community‚ was satisfied with how the elections had been conducted.-SowetanLive

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