ELTON MANGOMA . . . Economic Planning Minister

HARARE – South Africa’s government has sent a written protest to Harare over the invasion of South African-owned farms in Zimbabwe, a development that suggests Pretoria could be hardening its stance towards President Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reforms.

Senior officials at South Africa’s embassy in Harare and in the government of Zimbabwe told ZimOnline that a diplomatic note was send to the Zimbabwean Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week after South African citizen Raymond Finaughty appealed to the embassy for assistance after his farm was invaded last month.

Finaughty’s farm in Rusape district, about 170 km east of Harare, which was invaded a day before Christmas by a senior Zimbabwe central bank official, is one of several South African-owned properties that have been seized by supporters of Mugabe’s ZANU PF party.

“We sent the highest level of complaint to Harare officials following the continued disturbances on the farms … we are still waiting for a formal response from the Zimbabwe government” said the embassy official, who did not want to be named because he did not have permission from his superiors to speak on the matter.

South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Mulungisi Makhalima and Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi were not immediately available for comment on the matter.

However, in a statement issued earlier this week, South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation said Pretoria had “made formal contact with the Zimbabwean authorities and government with regard to issues raised by the South African citizens residing in Zimbabwe.”

The statement, which does not refer directly to farm invasions, is silent about the protest note to Harare.

But our sources said after Makhalima sent the protest note to Mumbengegwi he also raised the issue of farm invasions with Zimbabwe’s Economic Planning Minister Elton Mangoma.

“It was felt that Mangoma was the best person to handle the situation as he is the one who signed the BIPPA (Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement) with us last year and made undertakings,” said our source.

South Africa and Zimbabwe, at one time each other’s biggest trading partner on the continent in addition to being strong political allies, signed the investment protection agreement last year.

But the pact is not in force because Zimbabwe’s Parliament is yet to ratify it.

Mugabe’s chaotic and often violent programme to seize white-owned farm land for redistribution to landless blacks saw several farms owned by foreigners and protected under bilateral trade agreements between Zimbabwe and other countries seized without compensation.

The seizure of private land has raised questions about Zimbabwe’s commitment to uphold property rights as well as agreements entered with other countries. – ZimOnline