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SA truck drivers face arrest in Zim

Harare - A Zimbabwean court issued arrest warrants
on Monday for four South African truck drivers caught up in a spat
between President Robert Mugabe's wife and a Johannesburg businessman, their lawyer said.

Cassimjee
Bilal, 28, Henry Hadebe, 57, Samuel Risimati Baloyi, 40 and Sidney
Masilo, 40, were hired to deliver trucks which were part of a $1m (R7m)
deal between Grace Mugabe and her ex-business partner Ping Sung Hsieh, a
Taiwanese-born South African.

The men were arrested on arrival
in Harare on February 20 and charged with fraud, after a business deal
between Ping and the first lady went sour.

Out on bail

"The magistrate issued a warrant of arrest this morning," their lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told AFP.

"They
were supposed to appear in court for trial but they did not turn up at
the court. I don't know where they are. They haven't been in touch with
me, that's why I couldn't even oppose the issuing of the arrest
warrant."

The truck drivers were released on bail after two weeks
in prison and ordered to stay at a house in Harare, with strict
conditions to report regularly to the police.

It was not clear whether the men were still in Zimbabwe or had skipped the country.

Prosecutors
claim the relationship between Grace and Ping dates back to 2007 when
funds were transferred from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to one of the
businessman's companies for the purchase of trucks.

Two weeks ago
a South African court turned down an extradition application by
Zimbabwean authorities to have Ping stand trial in Harare for a case
related to the cash transfer.