SOUTH AFRICA: The 20-year-old South African model that Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe is alleged to have assaulted was offered cash to make potential charges “go away,” a lawyer said Thursday.
Police have said they were also on high alert to make sure that the 52-year-old wife of President Robert Mugabe does not skip the country, with an arrest warrant reportedly being considered.
The first lady is alleged to have hit Gabriella Engels on Sunday at a Johannesburg hotel.
Engels said she suffered deep cuts to her forehead and the back of her head and has opened a police case alleging assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. She appeared at a press conference Thursday, wearing a large plaster on the left side of her forehead.
Her “family has been approached by a third party to accept an amount of money to settle this” said Gerrie Nel, the advocate best known for his prosecution of fallen athlete Oscar Pistorius.
They were told “let us talk and this can go away. There was no amount mentioned,” said Nel, flanked by Engels and her mother.
“The family is not interested in doing this,” added Nel, who became famous for leading the prosecution of Paralympian Pistorius who in 2015 was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend.
South African police have said Grace Mugabe, who was in the country to have her ankle checked following a freak accident at Harare airport last month, is seeking diplomatic immunity.
Her two sons were staying at the hotel where the assault is alleged to have taken place.
A “red alert” has also been put out at the country’s borders, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula told reporters.
Nel said an officer investigating the case had told Engels on Thursday that “they would now apply for a warrant” (of arrest).
Nel was speaking on behalf of AfriForum, a pro-Afrikaner civil rights organization which helps victims of crime and has vowed to help Engels seek justice.
“We just want to make sure that everybody is equal before the law and that there should not be selective prosecution,” said Nel.
The group has sought to block any attempt by government officials to grant Mugabe diplomatic immunity.
“Should an erroneous decision be made to grant diplomatic immunity in this case then we would consider bringing an urgent application to the high court to prevent the decision from being executed,” said Willie Spies, another lawyer with AfriForum.
AfriForum has said it would even consider a private prosecution.
“She is not untouchable,” Kallie Kriel, the CEO of AfriForum said.
Engels’ mother Debbie said she was relieved that AfriForum was helping.
“Now I can sleep a little bit more peacefully knowing that I have people ...who can help me to get justice for my daughter,” she told reporters.
“Now I know that this woman is not going to get off scot-free from what she did to my child.”
The alleged attack threatens to spark a diplomatic problem for South Africa and Zimbabwe, neighbors who have strong political and economic ties.
President Mugabe flew into South Africa late Wednesday, two days ahead of a regional summit which starts on Saturday, giving rise to speculation that he arrived early so that he could discuss the case with South African leader Jacob Zuma.
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Model was offered cash to make Grace Mugabe assault ‘go away’
Model was offered cash to make Grace Mugabe assault ‘go away’
China’s Xi to host South Korea’s Lee from Sunday amid Japan tensions
SEOUL/BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit starting on Sunday, signalling Beijing’s intent to strengthen ties with Seoul amidst strained relations with Japan over Taiwan. The visit marks the second meeting between Xi and Lee in just two months, an unusually short interval that signals China’s keen interest in reinforcing ties with Seoul and boosting economic collaboration and tourism, analysts say. Relations between China and Japan hit the lowest point in years after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.
Xi’s invitation to Lee for a state visit from Sunday is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations especially before the South Korean leader visits Japan, analysts say.
“China wants to emphasize South Korea’s importance slightly more than before,” said Kang Jun-young, professor of political economics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“China appears to have strategically decided that it would be better to have (Lee) visit China before South Korea holds a summit with Japan again,” he added.
Wi Sung-lac, Lee’s top security adviser, said on Friday that he expected the Lee-Xi summit to open a “new chapter” in bilateral ties.
He added that the two countries were preparing more than 10 deals on the economy, businesses and climate, although they were not working on a joint statement.
The Lee administration has said it aims to “restore” ties with Beijing, acknowledging China is South Korea’s largest trading partner. The pivot follows strained relations between the two countries under Lee’s predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, due to his closer alignment with Washington and Tokyo, as well as criticism of China’s handling of Taiwan.
Now, South Korea is trying to maintain a balance but leaning toward cooperation with China to avoid being forced into any troubles that would threaten the Asian industrial powerhouse. Lee said in December he wouldn’t take sides in the diplomatic dispute between China and Japan.
US ALLIANCE AND NORTH KOREA Still, China and South Korea face complex issues as China challenges the US, South Korea’s major ally in the region, and as nuclear-armed North Korea remains unpredictable.
China is North Korea’s major ally and economic lifeline.
Shin Beom-chul, a former South Korean vice defense minister and a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said Xi and Lee might discuss some contentious issues such as efforts to modernize the South Korea-US alliance.
Currently, about 28,500 US troops are based in South Korea to counter any threat from North Korea. US officials have signalled a plan to make those US forces more flexible to respond to other threats, such as defending Taiwan and checking China’s growing military reach.
“Korea is not simply responding to threats on the peninsula,” General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, said at a forum on Dec. 29. “Korea sits at the crossroads of broader regional dynamics that shape the balance of power across Northeast Asia,” he said. Wi, the security adviser, said South Korea would also try to reassure China that its plans to build nuclear-powered submarines were aimed only at deterring North Korea. Lee’s agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has dismissed Lee’s outreach.
TECH, SUPPLY CHAINS AND K-POP Lee’s visit to Beijing is also expected to address cooperation in areas including critical minerals, supply chain and green industries, his office said earlier.
Seoul sources nearly half of its supply of rare earth minerals, critical to semiconductor manufacturing, from China. Beijing also accounts for a third of Seoul’s annual chip exports, the largest market by far. Last month, South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao agreed to work toward stable rare earth supplies, South Korea said.
The visit may also foster partnerships on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, experts said. China’s Huawei Technologies plans to roll out the Ascend 950 AI chips in South Korea this year, aiming to provide an alternative to Nvidia for Korean firms, Huawei’s South Korea CEO Balian Wang told a press conference last month.
Wang mentioned ongoing discussions with potential customers, without naming those clients. Huawei did not respond to questions from Reuters about Wang’s comments.
Xi’s invitation to Lee for a state visit from Sunday is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations especially before the South Korean leader visits Japan, analysts say.
“China wants to emphasize South Korea’s importance slightly more than before,” said Kang Jun-young, professor of political economics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“China appears to have strategically decided that it would be better to have (Lee) visit China before South Korea holds a summit with Japan again,” he added.
Wi Sung-lac, Lee’s top security adviser, said on Friday that he expected the Lee-Xi summit to open a “new chapter” in bilateral ties.
He added that the two countries were preparing more than 10 deals on the economy, businesses and climate, although they were not working on a joint statement.
The Lee administration has said it aims to “restore” ties with Beijing, acknowledging China is South Korea’s largest trading partner. The pivot follows strained relations between the two countries under Lee’s predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, due to his closer alignment with Washington and Tokyo, as well as criticism of China’s handling of Taiwan.
Now, South Korea is trying to maintain a balance but leaning toward cooperation with China to avoid being forced into any troubles that would threaten the Asian industrial powerhouse. Lee said in December he wouldn’t take sides in the diplomatic dispute between China and Japan.
US ALLIANCE AND NORTH KOREA Still, China and South Korea face complex issues as China challenges the US, South Korea’s major ally in the region, and as nuclear-armed North Korea remains unpredictable.
China is North Korea’s major ally and economic lifeline.
Shin Beom-chul, a former South Korean vice defense minister and a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said Xi and Lee might discuss some contentious issues such as efforts to modernize the South Korea-US alliance.
Currently, about 28,500 US troops are based in South Korea to counter any threat from North Korea. US officials have signalled a plan to make those US forces more flexible to respond to other threats, such as defending Taiwan and checking China’s growing military reach.
“Korea is not simply responding to threats on the peninsula,” General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, said at a forum on Dec. 29. “Korea sits at the crossroads of broader regional dynamics that shape the balance of power across Northeast Asia,” he said. Wi, the security adviser, said South Korea would also try to reassure China that its plans to build nuclear-powered submarines were aimed only at deterring North Korea. Lee’s agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has dismissed Lee’s outreach.
TECH, SUPPLY CHAINS AND K-POP Lee’s visit to Beijing is also expected to address cooperation in areas including critical minerals, supply chain and green industries, his office said earlier.
Seoul sources nearly half of its supply of rare earth minerals, critical to semiconductor manufacturing, from China. Beijing also accounts for a third of Seoul’s annual chip exports, the largest market by far. Last month, South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao agreed to work toward stable rare earth supplies, South Korea said.
The visit may also foster partnerships on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, experts said. China’s Huawei Technologies plans to roll out the Ascend 950 AI chips in South Korea this year, aiming to provide an alternative to Nvidia for Korean firms, Huawei’s South Korea CEO Balian Wang told a press conference last month.
Wang mentioned ongoing discussions with potential customers, without naming those clients. Huawei did not respond to questions from Reuters about Wang’s comments.
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