Grace Mugabe is set to appear in court today over allegations that she beat a 21-year-year-old woman with an extension cord after finding the model in a hotel room with two of her sons.

The Zimbabwean first lady has handed herself in to South African police over accusations that she attacked Gabriella Engels in a fit of rage, according to the local eNCA television station.

Ms Engels posted a photo of a deep gash to her forehead which she said was inflicted by Mrs Mugabe as her bodyguards looked on.

Mrs Mugabe, 52, is understood to have got into an altercation with Ms Engels while in South Africa to get treatment for an ankle injury.

Ms Engels said that the Zimbabwean politician had flown into a rage after discovering her in the company of two of her sons, Robert Peter Mugabe Jr. and Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe.

"My two friends and I were beat up in a room with 10+ men leaving her to do it," she wrote on Twitter.

"Rob jnr was put out of the hotel room and Bellermine ran away."

The model told News 24 that she had to "crawl out of the room" to escape.

Ms Engels said she had suffered multiple injuries to her head and body in the attack.

Mr Mugabe's ZANU-PF party confirmed there had been fracas involving Mrs Mugabe but claimed that she has been attacked.

Though Mrs Mugabe holds official position within Zimbabwe, it is not thought that she would be able to claim legal immunity over the claim because she was in South Africa in a personal capacity.