Air Zimbabwe suspends South Africa flights

Air Zimbabwe is still flying to Zambia and DR Congo

Zimbabwe's state-owned airline has suspended flights to neighbouring South Africa over fears its planes could be seized to pay its outstanding debts.

The airline is reported to owe $500,000 (£320,000) to a local supplier.

Earlier this week an Air Zimbabwe plane was grounded in London until a similar debt was paid off.

The airline is reported to be struggling to deal with a total debt of $140m and is said to be on the verge of collapse.

"We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to secure funding to pay our debts in South Africa," Innocent Mavhunga, Air Zimbabwe's acting chief executive, told the state-owned Herald newspaper.

He said, however, that the airline was continuing to fly to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other companies, such as South African Airways and British Airways' Comair, continue to fly between Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, and South Africa, the regional powerhouse.