Gabriella was left a deep gash on the face which required 14 stitches according to her mother.
Speaking with the Herald, Mrs. Mugabe urged young men to inculcate a culture of respect for women, especially in a country where rape cases is still high.
She was speaking while on a tour to various stands, including the Adult Rape Clinic, at the just ended Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in Harare on Friday.
“When you see a woman anywhere, you should think about your mother, sister or your wife.” She said.
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The first lady further added that it was important to talk to children in school about rape issues.
“They are the ones who are still growing, who are active and most of them are probably sexually active. It is imperative that we go to schools and nonscientist our children on the repercussions of raping women or even because it is happening these days.” She said
Mrs. Mugabe’s sentiments, however, come weeks after she was involved in a violent altercation with a 20-year-old South African model, Gabriella Engels that left her with a deep gash on the face which required 14 stitches according to her mother.
The Zimbabwean First Lady allegedly hit her with an extension cord at a luxury hotel in Johannesburg after finding the model with her sons Robert jr and Chatunga Bellarmine.
“We were chilling in a hotel room, and [the sons] were in the room next door. She came in and started hitting us,” .The front of my forehead is busted open. I’m a model and I make my money based on my looks.” Gabriella narrated.
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Mrs. Mugabe later claimed she hit her in an act of self-defence according to New zimbabwe.
The South African government later granted her diplomatic immunity so that criminal charges could not be brought up against her reportedly at the request of government of Zimbabwe.
In 2009, a British photographer also accused the First Lady of punching him in the face repeatedly while her bodyguards pinned him to the ground, outside a hotel in Hong Kong.
