Grace Mugabe back in Zimbabwe after being accused of assault in South Africa

Zimbabwe's first lady, Grace Mugabe, returned home on Tuesday from South Africa after failing to turn herself in to police in Johannesburg to face charges of assaulting a model in a hotel room.

There was no immediate public comment on the case from Grace, 52, a possible successor to her husband President Robert Mugabe, 93, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980. But Zimbabwe government sources confirmed she had returned home.

"Yes, she is back in the country. We don't know where this issue of assault charges is coming from," said a senior government official, who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

A second official also confirmed that Grace had returned, saying "she is around now" and accused the media of a plot to tarnish the first family's name.

Earlier, South African police had been negotiating with Grace's lawyers to get her to turn herself in to face charges of assault, a senior police source said.

Reuters