Germany diplomat complains over slow investigations on his attack

Conze’s car was smashed while driving home.

“I have never heard from the police, neither have I heard anything from the ministry of foreign Affairs, over the incident which happened two months ago. But I am glad that I now have an armoured car now which my government sent me after that incident,” Ambasador Conze told Radio VOP.

Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Joey Bimha said the incident was apolitical and criminal and had nothing to do with diplomatic relations.

“From the investigations we made after reading the story from the media we discovered that it was a criminal case which had nothing to do with politics, “he said in a telephone interview.

On the fateful day the driver of the car with its official diplomatic plates, had stopped briefly at an intersection when an assailant emerged from the tall grass at the side of the road and tried to smash the rear window next to where Ambassador Conze was seated.

The outspoken diplomat believed the assailant wanted to rob him, but did not exclude the possibility the attack was politically motivated.

The envoy is known to have roused the ire of officials in President Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union, Zanu (PF) party after he published an article in the local independent press charging Mugabe with racist rhetoric and with corruption in the nationalisation of the economy.