It's time for investors - South Africans included - to seize the "tremendous" investment opportunities in Zimbabwe, despite the continuation of farm invasions and Western countries still refusing to extend direct fiscal assistance to Harare.

Elton Mangoma, Zimbabwe's Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, said on Monday that MDC components of the new government are in control and "nothing happens" without the approval of Morgan Tsvangirai, the prime minister and leader of the MDC.

This is amid ongoing farm invasions and MDC treasurer Roy Bennett has still not been sworn in as deputy minister of agriculture.

Ambassadors from Sweden and Norway say direct aid to Harare will not be resumed before further reforms take place and farm invasions cease.

South Africa and Botswana are so far the only countries that have announced direct monetary assistance for the unity government.

British investment delegations are currently visiting Zimbabwe, China is showing great interest, and Mangoma himself will soon leave for Europe to reassure investors, he said. The Harare government also wants South African companies to recapitalise their Zimbabwean subsidiaries and advance credit facilities.

According to Mangoma, negotiations were recently concluded for the signing of a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement (Bippa) between South Africa and Zimbabwe, which has been dragged out since 2004. In an effort to help restore agriculture, property rights will moreover be guaranteed, he maintains.

Sources in the South African government recently told Sake24 that Zimbabwe specifically wanted to exclude the protection of agricultural land from the Bippa, but the MDC said this would not be permitted.

Last week the Zimbabwean government assembled a top-level team to investigate farm invasions.--fin24