ZIMBABWE — HARARE - Contrary to the pretences and show of bravado by the head of the Zanu (PF) military junta, Robert Mugabe and his surrogates, the aged dictator is in a mess that is probably intractable and totally confused about how to proceed following the intensifying of the stalemate between him and his nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC.

 

ZimDaily exclusively reveals that Mugabe Monday postponed appointing a cabinet as he finds himself in a catch 22 situation due to recent political developments.

 

 

First hand information we obtained Wednesday shows that Mugabe openly admitted to members of his junta that establishing an exclusively Zanu (PF) cabinet would be a waste of time set to worsen the country's myriad problems.

The blow to the aged dictator's insincere plan came last week when a coup was staged in parliament by MPs belonging to the smaller MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara, he had been promised were sinking with his ship in support of his strategy.

 

Mugabe, insiders told us, had planned to appoint a cabinet comprising Zanu (PF) and the Mutambara faction and with the hope that would pressure Tsvangirai to reconsider his position on signing a power sharing deal that leaves the dictator firmly thrust with executive powers.

"Monday had been set aside for the finalisation of the cabinet issue," a source close to Mugabe told us. "

 

But it appears the matter shall have to be shelved for quite sometime because the old man confessed that he knows the consequences of appointing an exclusively Zanu (PF) cabinet.

 

There was intense debate over the matter as others-the hardliners-around Mugabe tried to convince him to go for it and appoint the cabinet with an exclusive Zanu (PF) team."

 

It is very clear the only way Mugabe can come up with a move capable of stopping a decade-long economic and political crisis would be coming up with an arrangement that has a semblance of national unity and that means which includes the MDC.

 

But Tsvangirai, the winner of the March presidential election which the junta regime ensured was altered to justify a run-off, has scuttled Mugabe's insincere survival plan by refusing to sign a power sharing deal that has Mutambara's endorsement.

Our sources say following the drama in parliament last week, Mugabe has lost faith and hope in Mutambara.

 

"Mugabe is no longer as impressed and confident of Mutambara and his secretary general (Welshman Ncube) since what happened in parliament, and he even ditched his earlier plan to create something for these two professors but inversely it has thrown his whole plan into disarray," a reliable source told us.

Zimdaily heard that after Monday's deliberations, Mugabe sent a circular to his illegal former ministers advising them to continue performing duty but without elaborating, however making clear the indication he is dithering on the appointment of a new cabinet.

 

Another source said the troubled dictator now left with very few reasonable options from within his ailing Zanu (PF) party, also considered merely reappointing the officials from his previous cabinet that are in parliament and go on to replace those that were defeated in March and he left out when he made his appointments to the Senate.

Happening under the supervision of an equally troubled President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, talks between Zanu (PF) and the MDC have failed to yield a workable agreement and much against the run of time and events as the Zimbabwean economic meltdown reaches a catastrophic proportion at the same time the situation becomes a serious cause for concern not only to SA, but also to the whole of SADC.

 

ZimDaily tomorrow reveals an exclusive report on how the Zimbabwe crisis has put Mbeki into a quagmire that could make South Africans skin him alive.

 

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