¡¡¡¡JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- South African political parties called on government on Friday to intervene in the incident involving South Africa's High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Jeremiah Ndou this week.

¡¡¡¡Ndou was reportedly called before Zimbabwe's ministry of foreign affairs because "he had not been given clearance" to visit a farm, formerly owned by a white South African.

¡¡¡¡He was also apparently barricaded in the farmhouse for some time by a group of land invaders on the farm.

¡¡¡¡Democratic Alliance chair Joe Seremane said Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma should clarify whether white-owned farms in Zimbabwe had been declared national security concerns in terms of the Vienna Convention.

¡¡¡¡"If this is not the case then the minister must demand reasons why South Africa's representative in Zimbabwe has been interrogated by the Mugabe regime," he said.

¡¡¡¡Diplomats are protected by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and Optional Protocols adopted in 1963.

¡¡¡¡New National Party foreign affairs spokesperson Boy Geldenhuys called on Mbeki to intervene personally.

¡¡¡¡"The detention of South Africa's High Commissioner to Zimbabwe by a group of land invaders is in breach of international rules and calls for intervention at the highest level," he said.

¡¡¡¡Mbeki should intervene personally and make it clear to Mugabe that the safety of South Africa's diplomatic staff in Zimbabwe was non-negotiable and strong action would be taken if something similar happened.

¡¡¡¡At the same time, Mbeki should use his personal influence to see to it that there was urgent compliance with the agreement that land of residents of Southern African Development Community countries would not be seized, Geldenhuys said. Enditem