Grace Mugabe accident: More details emerge

More details emerged yesterday of the mishap at Harare International Airport that saw First Lady Grace Mugabe sprain her ankle.

The incident occurred shortly after President Robert Mugabe and his wife landed back home on Saturday morning after a week spent in Singapore, where Mugabe had gone for his third medical check-up this year.

As usual, the presidential limousine was waiting to whisk the First Family back to their Harare mansion. But the chauffeur set off before Grace Mugabe had got in, causing her to lose her balance, the state-run Sunday Mail reports.



Shoe run over

“The sudden movement of the vehicle saw Amai (Mrs) Mugabe withdraw her foot from the car, and as she lost her balance, one shoe came off and was run over by a rear wheel,” the paper said.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba said in a statement that the First Lady was treated at a local clinic before she was discharged. Her husband, daughter and son-in-law were by her side.

“The examining doctors confirmed that she suffered no major injury,” Charamba said. “At the time of her discharge, which was about an hour later, she complained of pain from the hurt ankle.

“The First Lady is recovering at home,” he added.



Presidential motorcyclist injured

Meanwhile, the Mugabes' return was certainly incident-filled, as one of the presidential motorcade's motorcycle escorts was injured after his motorbike rammed into a vehicle along Harare's main airport road.

The Sunday Mail said the motorcyclist crashed into an Isuzu pick-up and fractured his arm. The driver of the pick-up appears to have escaped unharmed.

Motorists are forced to get off the road when they hear the sirens on the motorbikes that accompany the presidential motorcade.



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