The Latest: Zimbabwe blocks South African Airways flights

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attends the Southern African Development Community's leaders' conference in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's first lady is expected to make her first public appearance today since being accused of assaulting a young model at a luxury hotel in South Africa. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attends the Southern African Development Community's leaders' conference in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's first lady is expected to make her first public appearance today since being accused of assaulting a young model at a luxury hotel in South Africa. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

By Associated Press August 19, 2017 2 min read

JOHANNESBURG (AP) – The Latest on assault allegations against Zimbabwe’s first lady (all times local):

2:05 p.m.

South African Airways says Zimbabwe has placed restrictions on its operations, affecting its flights between the neighboring countries.

The South African government-owned airline says its flight from Zimbabwe’s capital to Johannesburg was unable to take off as scheduled Saturday morning. Another flight from Johannesburg to Harare has been canceled.

South African Airways says Zimbabwean authorities are demanding a “foreign operators permit” to allow the airline to operate in Zimbabwe. It says it has been flying to and from Zimbabwe for more than 20 years and that the permit was never required until Saturday morning.