SA envoy's rant sets scene for showdown

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is due to confront President Robert Mugabe this week in an attempt to defuse a potentially major diplomatic row after South Africa's ambassador in Harare, Vusi Mavimbela, launched a vicious attack on the government over lawlessness.

Speaking after meeting Tsvangirai last week, Mavimbela blasted the government and police for failing to rein in rogue Zanu-PF militants who have been wantonly invading farms owned by South Africans in violation of the Bilateral Investment and Protection Agreement signed between Pretoria and Harare in 2009.

Diplomats say Mavimbela's condemnation must have been sanctioned by South African President Jacob Zuma.

In the past few months, militants loyal to Mugabe have been invading the few remaining white-owned farms, including those of South Africans, although they are supposed to be protected under the agreement.

Mavimbela did not mince his words in appealing to Tsvangirai for intervention and also asked the South African government to assist because it had failed at diplomatic level.

South African farmers Koos Smith of De Rust farm and Tienie van Rensburg of Rueben farm in Nyazura were recently evicted by a mob loyal to Mugabe and Zanu-PF, leaving them destitute.

Tsvangirai, through spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka, said he would take up the issue with Mugabe.

"The prime minister will personally table the issue of lawlessness raised by the South African ambassador, because this is a serious issue that needs urgent attention. He is taking the issue seriously because this is what has poisoned the political environment in Zimbabwe. This is the culture of impunity that has to be stopped," said Tamborinyoka.

The meeting is expected to be held this week.

Mavimbela fired the salvo two weeks after Zuma had said South Africa would not grab land in the violent and bloody manner witnessed in Zimbabwe since 2000.

Mavimbela said the militants appeared to be protected by the police and that the lawlessness had resulted in South African companies failing to invest in Zimbabwe.

"One of the issues we raised with the prime minister was our concern about the manner in which farm invasions still take place in this country. We have a number of South African farmers who were evicted from their farms recently. We believe that the process that was followed is not anything that we can be proud of," said Mavimbela.

He also criticised Mugabe's new policy of "indigenisation" to force white and foreign-owned companies to hand over 51% of their shares to black Zimbabweans.