PRETORIA: Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe failed to appear on Saturday at a summit in South Africa attended by her husband, an event overshadowed by her effort to obtain diplomatic immunity over assault allegations.

The wife of President Robert Mugabe has not been seen since she was accused of attacking a 20-year-old model with an electrical extension cord last weekend in a Johannesburg hotel where the couple’s two sons were staying.

South African police had said she was expected at the two-day Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting that opened with a “first spouses programme”.

But the 52-year-old was not among the first ladies in reserved seating at the foot of the platform where several heads of state spoke. Her husband, in a black suit and beige scarf, was among eight regional leaders present.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2017