Grounded In Harare: Why Grace Mugabe Can’t Save Her Son From His ‘Shooting Saga’
Harare Bureau • February 19, 2026
A Mother’s Hands Tied. As videos of the alleged Hyde Park shooting circulate and her son Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe sits in a South African jail cell, former First Lady Grace Mugabe faces a painful reality. Despite the gravity of the family crisis, she cannot fly to Johannesburg to support him. The ghost of a 2017 scandal has returned to haunt the former power couple's matriarch, leaving her trapped north of the Limpopo while her son faces the fight of his life.
| No Exit: Grace Mugabe (pictured at a previous rally) risks immediate arrest if she sets foot in South Africa. |
The public expectation was immediate: surely the fierce protector of the G40 faction would rush to her son's side? However, observers note that the "Gucci Grace" era of diplomatic immunity is over. Legal experts and journalists have confirmed that an outstanding warrant of arrest remains active in South Africa, effectively barring her entry.
Wanted in South Africa
Grace Mugabe is classified as a fugitive in SA due to the 2017 assault case involving model Gabriella Engels. Entering the country would trigger an automatic arrest.
The Ghost of Sandton
The obstacle blocking Grace’s travel dates back to August 2017. She allegedly assaulted South African model Gabriella Engels with an electrical extension cord in a hotel room in Sandton, Johannesburg.
While she was controversially granted diplomatic immunity at the time by the Zuma administration to allow her to flee, that immunity was later overturned by South African courts, reinstating the warrant for her arrest.
Unlike in the past, where political power shielded the Mugabes from consequences, the legal landscape has shifted. Any attempt by the former First Lady to clear immigration at OR Tambo International Airport would result in her immediate detention by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
"A Tragedy of Justice"
Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono weighed in on the unfolding drama, highlighting the intersection of past impunity and present helplessness.
“The tragedy is that Grace Mugabe cannot travel to South Africa to support her son,” Chin’ono explained. “Grace Mugabe has a warrant of arrest in South Africa... She allegedly assaulted a young girl called Gabriella Engels... Justice must apply equally.”
A Family Under Pressure
The saga blends motherhood, justice, and history into one uncomfortable storyline. While Chatunga battles allegations of attempted murder in Hyde Park, his mother is forced to fight her own battles in Harare.
Critics insist this is the long arm of the law finally catching up, while supporters argue a mother should be allowed to comfort her son privately. For now, Grace Mugabe can only watch, wait, and deal with unresolved ghosts.
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