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Harare - Three 'supercars' owned by ousted Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe and her son have been involved in an accident in Botswana, a newspaper says.
Mmegi Online said on its Twitter account that the three vehicles "believed to be belonging to Grace Mugabe" had had a "freak accident" on the A1 road near the town of Artesia late on Friday. It said the cars - a Porsche, a Rolls Royce and a Range Rover - were badly damaged but the drivers were not hurt. Artesia is around an hour's drive from the capital Gaborone.
See the tweet and pictures below
There were few other details. A photo posted by the paper to Twitter shows the back of a car with the number plate 'RG SVA' on a grassy track at night. Two people are leaning on the vehicle.
There had already been huge speculation on Zimbabwean social media after an affidavit showing Grace Mugabe of the "Grace Mugabe Children's Home" had authorised her son Russell Goreraza to drive one of the cars, the Range Rover, out. Goreraza is Grace's son from her first marriage. Unconfirmed reports from inside Zimbabwe say the other two vehicles belong to Goreraza.
Cars headed for Johannesburg
Goreraza is said to have told customs officials at the border post that he was taking all three cars to Johannesburg via Botswana to be serviced. Some Zimbabweans prefer travelling to South Africa via Botswana these days because that way they can avoid the chaotic Beitbridge border post.
Seizure of assets?
There were suggestions that the former first lady and her son might have been trying to avoid having the cars seized when an amnesty expires for the return of all money illegally spirited from Zimbabwe during Mugabe's long rule. New president Emmerson Mnangagwa - a former VP who took over after the military intervened last November - has been talking tough on corruption as he seeks to win international confidence (though there are suspicions he may be unfairly targeting only his political rivals).
Appetite for luxury
Grace's appetite for luxury and her barely-cloaked determination to take over from Mugabe made her very unpopular: in fact, she's largely blamed for Mugabe's downfall. There have been hints that she and her two sons with the former president could face investigations - possibly only after Mugabe has died.
BREAKING: Three super cars believed to be belonging to Grace Mugabe have had a freak accident near Artesia on the A1 road around 10pm. All the cars, Rolls Royce, Range Rover & Porsche, are badly damaged but the drivers escaped unscathed. pic.twitter.com/OZXPLZ8MEi
— Mmegi (@MmegiOnline) January 19, 2018
Vehicles belonging to Russell Goreraza, Grace Mugabe’s son have been stopped from leaving ???? via Plumtree border post today. Persons familiar with events at Plumtree say Russell has been detained. He says he is taking the cars to SA for service. (This infor not indep. verified) pic.twitter.com/PClu56qs8V
— Ray Ndlovu (@ray_ndlovu) January 19, 2018
Scenes at Plumtree border post where former First Lady Grace Mugabe's son Rusell Goreraza is in a spot of bother after trying to drive into Botswana with these - a Rolls Royce, a Porsche and a Range Rover. I believe the Range belongs to the mum pic.twitter.com/eHwAN7Mi8V
— Mduduzi Mathuthu (@Mathuthu) January 19, 2018
Grace Mugabe reportedly tried to *sneak some of her ill-gotten luxury cars out of Zimbabwe… her son was blocked by police from taking them out.
— Ottilia Anna M ?? (@MaS1banda) January 19, 2018
What a time. pic.twitter.com/oHud43rhV1
Grace Mugabe now writes affidavits. How the mighty have fallen pic.twitter.com/eftBA11n3y
— Man's Not Barry Roux (@AdvBarryRoux) January 19, 2018
