Harare — Zimbabwe did not refuse to co-operate with Botswana over the release of three game rangers from that country who were arrested after illegally crossing the border, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

In recent days, Botswana's Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani has said Zimbabwe was not being helpful in trying to resolve the matter.

The three armed Batswana officers were arrested after crossing into Zimbabwe without travel documents, claiming they were pursuing a stray lion.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Skelemani met Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi at the African Union Summit in Ethiopia but did not raise the matter.

"Over the past two weeks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of Botswana, Mr Phandu Skelemani, issued various statements to the effect that he had made several attempts to contact the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe to discuss the matter without success.

"The ministry would, on the contrary, wish to point out that Honourable Minister Mumbengegwi was out of the country during that time and only returned on the 2nd of February 2010," the statement said.

Minister Mumbengegwi, the ministry said, did not receive any communication from Skelemani even after his return.

"During the recent African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, the two ministers met on a number of occasions and engaged each other in general conversation, but at no point during their interaction did Minister Skelemani raise the issue of the officers who were under arrest in Zimbabwe.

"In fact, it was the Botswana Vice President Lieutenant-General Mompati Merafhe who personally requested Minister Mumbengegwi to arrange a meeting with His Excellency President Cde RG Mugabe."

The ministry said President Mugabe agreed to the meeting but his delegation had to leave Ethiopia earlier than scheduled and that meeting did not take place as planned.

The wildlife officers were released from custody on Monday after a Hwange Magistrates' Court found them guilty of illegal entry into Zimbabwe and fined them US$100 each.

The ministry said it welcomed the ruling.

"The ministry welcomes the magistrates' court ruling on 8 February 2010 in Hwange, which puts to rest the issue and presents an opportunity for the ministry to set the record straight in light of the numerous misconceptions and allegations emanating from Gaborone."

On Monday, Home Affairs co-Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa slammed Botswana for overreacting over "a simple administrative" issue that could have been amicably resolved.

Botswana had threatened to withdraw its diplomatic officers attached to Zimbabwe and had ordered Harare to do the same.

Ironically two Zimbabwean police officers languished in a Botswana jail for months after they had strayed across the border.

They were only recently released after going through that country's normal judicial processes.