HARARE - MDC secretary general Tendai Biti has dismissed the pact between Robert Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara as elitist as condemnation of the power-sharing deal was mounting in Harare.

 

Biti said last night the agreement between Mugabe and Mutambara was meaningless to ordinary Zimbabweans and said it was now incumbent on South Africa President Thabo Mbeki to find a meaningful solution to Zimbabwe’s drawn-out political crisis.

 

 

Biti spoke a day after the official press insisted that Mugabe and Mutambara were due to form a new government next week after a power-sharing pact, despite spirited denials by the Mutambara faction.

Legal experts said the fact that Mutambara and Mugabe had agreed on everything on the draft agreement meant there was a deal even though there has been no signing ceremony, which was just symbolic.

There was only one point of disagreement with Tsvangirai, "on our side, as a party we have no problems on that aspect,"

 

Mutambara told a news conference at his Marlborough home yesterday, accusing Tsvangirai of “prevaricating and equivocating.”

This means the Mutambara group has refused to close ranks with its opposite number, preferring instead to take sides with Mugabe’s party.

This smacks of desperation and opportunism on Mutambara’s part, observers said.
Biti said any deal that emerges from this process had to reflect the will of the people, as reflected by results of the March 29 vote.

“We are mindful that we cannot sell the people of Zimbabwe and this party cannot be swallowed for positions and elitism. We cannot just rush into any agreement,” Biti said in apparent reference to Mutambara.

The MDC secretary general rubbished reports that Mugabe was moving to install a new Cabinet next week with Mutambara.

 “The Memorandum of Understanding makes it very clear that no party during the duration of the talks will do anything that will structurally derail the talks and it makes it very clear that there are two things that cannot happen which are mentioned by name which is the appointment of a government and the calling of Parliament,”  he said.

“If anyone in his wisdom or lack of it is going to appoint a Cabinet, that will amount to a unilateral repudiation of the agreement, in simpler terms, a declaration of war on the talks.”

Meanwhile in the streets of Harare Mutambara came under withering criticism. “Who is he? Where did he get the mandate from? He should just go to hell,” charged one Mheza of Mabvuku.

 

“We voted for President Tsvangirai to rule this country not these losers, Mutambara who lost in Zengeza, Mugabe who lost the presidential election in March and Mbeki who lost in Polokwane.”

Any deal that excluded Tsvangirai was unacceptable, charged Mai Cynthia of Lochinvar.
“Tsvangirai is the only person anogona kugadzirisa nyika not Mugabe neuyu wema robots,” she said.

“Iye akambovhoterwa naniko? Saka dhiri raari kuda kuita neharahwa iyi ndereiyi?”

Mutambara was also under pressure from members of his party, amid reports seven of his 10 legislators were on the verge of jumping ship.

However, war veteran Webster Nyamangara said Tsvangirai cannot continue to hold the nation to ransom. He said Mugabe had won the election on June 27 and he had the right to form his own government with Mutambara.

“If he doesn’t want to be part of this, mukuru has to form his own government naMutambara,” he said. “Tsvangirai is taking instructions from the British. This is unacceptable to us.

 

This country can never be a colony again. Right now they are adding more sanctions and worsening our suffering. So mukuru has to form the government and move our country forward. We cant be held to ransom nezvimbwasungata.”

 

Got a story, opinion or want your letter published, please e-mail Editor at editor@zimdaily.com