Civil rights organisation AfriForum’s application against the South African government’s decision to grant former Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity has been adjourned to Friday in the High Court in Pretoria.
The immunity followed Mugabe’s alleged physical assault of Johannesburg model Gabriella Engels. The court heard arguments that sought to overturn the decision.
The applicants including the Gender Commission for Equality, and the DA want the court to declare the decision unconstitutional.
“Our case is based in the following; we say the granting of the diplomatic immunity was an afterthought. It was given afterwards and it was issued to shelter prosecution. We believe there should prosecution, equality before the law and no selective prosecution. We based our case on two aspects. First, the nature of the crime is such that the matter of immune cannot protect the accused from prosecution. And secondly, the purpose of the visit did not qualify for diplomatic immunity,” said AfriForum’s legal representative, Gerrie Nel.
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