In a sign of the growing instability in southern Africa caused by the Zimbabwean crisis, Zimbabwe's government accused its neighbour Botswana of plotting to help overthrow President Robert Mugabe's regime, state media reported.

Zimbabwe's state-controlled daily Herald newspaper quoted Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa as saying that the government of President Ian Khama "has availed its territory, material and logistical support" to Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) "for the recruitment and military training of youths for the eventual destabilisation of the country with a view to effecting illegal regime change".

Observers say it is the first time that such openly hostile relations have emerged among any of the 15 members of the Southern African Development Community, the regional political alliance.

Chinamasa claimed the regime had "compelling evidence" against Botswana — regarded as one of the most stable countries in the region.

Botswana in recent weeks has repeatedly condemned Mugabe's regime over the country's economic collapse that has caused an influx of refugees into neighbouring countries.

"What evidence there is establishes that Botswana has rendered itself a surrogate of Western imperial powers, that it is acting contrary to its past role as a Frontline State (the organisation of black-ruled southern African states lobbying against formerly white- ruled governments in the region), and that it has decided to be destabilising factor in the region."

A pretext for the West?

He gave no details of the "evidence," but said the matter was now in the hands of the politics and defence organ of the SADC, known as the "troika".

"The troika is now in charge of the matter and we all await their next move," Chinamasa said. The Herald, without naming sources, alleged former Zimbabwe military personnel who had be "recruited for the escapade" had supplied information to Harare "after gathering sufficient information from inside".

It claimed that "the plot was to train groups of bandits who would instigate instability that would give the West a pretext to get the United Nations Security Council leeway to authorise a military invasion of Zimbabwe".

Zimbabwe last month claimed that the MDC had sent youths to training camps in Zimbabwe. Botswana dismissed the allegation and invited Mugabe's regime to send investigators into the country. A team was despatched twice, but Harare has issued no statement on its findings.

"My plea to (President) Khama and his government is to think carefully about the irreversible harm they have been plotting to unleash on the region," Chinamasa said.

"It is for them to realise that they have put themselves on a course that is bound to bring a lot of suffering on Zimbabweans and the region, including the population of Botswana."

Chinamasa also accused the MDC "of talking peace while they have been preparing for war and insurgency, as well as soliciting the West to invade our country on the pretext of things like cholera".

The MDC and Mugabe's Zanu-PF party have been engaged in negotiations to set in motion a power-sharing agreement that has been stalled since its signing in mid-September.

Sapa