Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe failed to turn up in a South African court on Tuesday to answer charges of assault of a woman.
The 20-year-old Gabriella Engels accused Mrs Mugabe of hitting her after finding her with her two sons in a hotel room in Sandton on Sunday evening.
Engels would later release an image of a face injury online.
South Africa Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has earlier said while Mrs Mugabe had handed herself over to police she was not under arrest, adding that she would appear in court early on Tuesday afternoon local time.
But as at late afternoon South African time police said they did not know where Mrs Mugabe was.