South African minister faces inquiry in Grace Mugabe scandal
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A South African parliamentary committee will summon the foreign minister to explain the decision to grant diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe's first lady, who is accused of assaulting a young model at a Johannesburg hotel, South Africa's main opposition party said Wednesday.
The Democratic Alliance said parliament's international relations panel will ask the minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, to explain why Grace Mugabe was allowed to return to neighboring Zimbabwe on Sunday despite calls for her prosecution.
"South Africa cannot be treated as a playground for international criminals," the party said in a statement. It added that a date for Nkoana-Mashabane's appearance before the committee should be scheduled urgently.
The 20-year-old Gabriella Engels claims that Mugabe attacked her on Aug. 13, whipping her with an extension cord that cut her forehead.
