Former President Robert Mugabe's son Robert Junior is being investigated by police in South Africa after he was accused of intimidatin...
Former President Robert Mugabe's son Robert Junior is being
investigated by police in South Africa after he was accused of intimidating a
model pursuing a case against his mother.
According to the Sunday World, Gabriella Engels told
Rosebank police that Robert jnr was intimidating her in a suspected bid to get
her to drop charges against his mom. According to an affidavit deposed by
21-year-old Engels, Robert jnr and his brother Bellarmine, as well as their
friends, have been frequenting her workplace, Harem nightclub in Rosebank,
since June.
Engels said in one incident in September, Robert jnr grabbed
her leg and tried to pull her towards him but she was rescued by a fellow
employee. It was on this night that Robert jnr, according to her police
statement, made her an offer to be a model for his soon-to-be-launched fashion
brand.
"As I tried to move away, he grabbed my right leg on
my boot, below the knee, and pulled me down. I was carrying a bottle of
champagne and nearly fell down. My friend Natasha grabbed me by my arm to
steady me," she wrote in the six-page affidavit.
"Robert Mugabe [jnr] said that he just wanted to talk
to me. I responded that I didn't want to speak to him; I said you are always
taking videos of me. He said 'Look, I am putting my phone away' and he put his
phone in his pocket. Robert asked me if I remembered what had happened to him.
I replied 'Yes, your mother hit you in the kitchen and she came to beat me'.
"Robert touched me on my forehead and asked if I was
OK though? I did not answer. I asked what he wanted from me. Robert said he
wanted to sort this whole thing out and he wants me to be part of his clothing
line. I told him I was tired of the case going on and what I really want from
them is to apologise.
Robert told me he knows how badly I want to start modelling
again and he wants me to work for his fashion line and they will send out a
statement apologising for what happened to me and they will take care of
anything I want."
I was thinking when he said further that he just wants
people to know that we are OK and by me being part of his fashion line that
will prove it. Whilst we were still speaking my manager Ngobile came and took
me away from the table. She didn't speak to him, she just looked at him."
Engels said in other incidents, the Mugabes' friends
accosted her or tried to intimidate her in one way or the other and she
concluded that all this was done to put pressure on her to withdraw the case
against Grace.
"On Saturday, 30th June I was working at the Harem
club. I notice Bellarmine Mugabe's friend looking at me and I moved behind one
of my clients. Nothing happened further. It was the first time I had seen Bella
since the assault incident in August 2017.
"On 11 August 2018 I was again working a shift at the
club. I was dancing in the VIP area at a table behind the Mugabe brothers..
This was the first time I had seen Robert since the incident with his mother in
August 2017. I saw Bella talking to Robert jnr and he moved his sunglasses down
his face/nose and looked directly at me. I felt very uncomfortable and went to
report this to Ngobile at the office."
In her conclusion, Engels said she felt uncomfortable about
the Mugabes' actions and asked the police to investigate.
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