Britain has denied Zimbabwe's mines minister a visa for an investment conference, fuelling anger in President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party over continued Western sanctions on its officials.
Mr Mugabe formed a unity government in February with rival Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister, to try to end an economic and political crisis worsened last year by a disputed presidential poll. Mr Tsvangirai is in London as part of a Western tour to drum up financial support for Zimbabwe's new government.
But today, a Harare government official said Britain had refused Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu a visa - under European Union travel sanctions against Mr Mugabe and his top associates.
The minister had wanted to travel to London to address a conference on investment opportunities in the southern African country.
"The minister did not get a visa and in our view all this does not make sense except to confirm that some people in London are pursuing their fight against Zanu-PF," the official said.
"They are trying to undermine the inclusive government with this sort of attitude."
A representative of the Zimbabwean High Commission in London said he had been excluded because he was on the British government's banned list as a member of Mr Mugabe's circle.
Denis Worrall, chairman of Omega Investment Mining Partners and one of the conference organisers, said Mr Mpofu was absent because he had been denied a visa.
Other delegates criticised the decision, comparing it unfavourably with Britain's improved relations with Libya.
"Colonel (Muammar) Gaddafi has been rehabilitated. If he can be rehabilitated, who can't? Zimbabwe does not have a Lockerbie on its books," said Andrew Cranswick, CEO of African Consolidated Resources, a mining company with investments in Zimbabwe.
Africa minister Mark Malloch-Brown said last week it was too early to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe but said there was room for flexibility in allowing Zanu-PF ministers to travel to Britain.
There was no immediate statement from the British embassy in Harare, which traditionally does not comment on visa issues, nor from the British government in London.
Britain pledged £5 million to Zimbabwe yesterday but made clear more reforms were needed before it would start large-scale development aid to the shattered country.
British prime minister Gordon Brown told Mr Tsvangirai there were "great signs of progress", but the power-sharing government still had to meet a number of tests on the road to democracy.
Reuters