Zimbabwe's top brass have been asked by their Malaysian counterparts to save a banana farm appropriated by a retired army officer.

The two countries have had good relationships until now, but the forcible occupation of Fangundu farm, in the east of the country, by retired Major-General Edzai Chimonyo has raised diplomatic tensions.

Chimonyo, Zimbabwe's ambassador to Tanzania, occupied the banana farm in December and has ignored court orders to allow the legitimate owners to harvest their fruit.

This week, the Malaysians asked the Zimbabwean government why investors from their country were not being protected by the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

Zimbabwe's vice-president, John Nkomo, has given assurances that the Malaysian shareholders would be allowed to regain control of Fangundu.

Malaysian diplomat Mohamad Nizan Mohamad, based in Harare, said: "The issue of our existing investments and how they have been affected was raised and the response was positive and encouraging."

Nkomo agreed to meet the Malaysians after investors complained bitterly about the farm being seized as part of continuing "land reform".

''We made our initial investments in Zimbabwe at a time when the country was actively soliciting investment from Asia under its Look East mantra,'' said Mohamad.