Mugabe on shopping spree attack photographer

[Mayabird]

Grace in punch-up over photos
Lee Rondganger
January 19 2009 at 06:35AM

A photographer for a Hong Kong-based news agency has suffered several bruises to his face after allegedly being assaulted by the wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Grace Mugabe is said to have flown into a fit of rage on Thursday when she saw Richard Jones, chief photographer for Sinopix, taking photos of her as she left the five-star Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel.

She and the president were on a shopping-spree holiday in Hong Kong. They are reported to have withdrawn US$92 000 (R920 000) from Zimbabwe's foreign reserves to fund their holiday.

Jones, who was on assignment for the London Sunday Times, told The Star on Sunday that he was following Zimbabwe's first lady when she spotted him and ordered her bodyguards to attack him.

"They came straight for me. I tried running, but was carrying some heavy equipment, so they caught up quite easily.

"They tried to take my cameras but I resisted. While I was wrestling with them, Mrs Mugabe came towards me and started punching me, over and over.

"I was in complete shock, she was totally enraged."

Jones, who later went to a doctor, had nine cuts to his face.

"My face is still swollen from all the blows, and I have bruising as well."

He said the cuts were inflicted by the diamond rings Mugabe was wearing.

"I think she was quite aware of this when she was punching me."

Jones, a photographer for the past 15 years, said it was the first time he had been attacked like this.

He was stunned that the first lady of a country would attack someone in public.

"We were in the middle of the street with plenty of people passing us. I've faced some hairy situations in the past, like being detained, but never have I been attacked in such a manner."

On Saturday, Jones made a statement to the Tsim Sha Tsui police in Hong Kong. He did not go to them earlier as he was afraid of Mugabe's bodyguards.

Police are investigating and were to look at hotel video footage that captured the punch-up.

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