United States envoy Christopher Dell could be expelled for what is seen as his meddling in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe’s Herald Online reported on Monday.
It said precedent showed host countries reserved the right to expel a diplomat whose behaviour they feel was unbecoming or undiplomatic.
”Zimbabwe could take that route in the case of Mr Dell.”
Dell, US ambassador to Harare, raised the ire of the Zimbabwean authorities in a speech he gave at the United Methodist Church-run Africa University in Mutare last week.
He said the economic challenges facing Zimbabwe were a result of ”corrupt rule” and not sanctions.
”Neither drought nor sanctions are at the root of Zimbabwe’s decline,” said Dell.
”The Zimbabwe government’s own gross mismanagement of the economy and its corrupt rule has brought on the crisis.”
A Sunday newspaper in Harare quoted sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying the government had had enough of Dell’s conduct.
Zimbabwean security forces recently caught Dell entering a restricted zone at the National Botanical Gardens in Harare.
The government described this as an act calculated to provoke an unnecessary diplomatic row.
Last Friday, Dell voiced more criticism, saying ”bad economic policies” pursued by government made it difficult to fight the HIV/Aids pandemic in Zimbabwe.
The ministry of foreign affairs is expected to summon Dell this week for an explanation of his actions and utterances, the paper reported. – Sapa