ZIMBABWE — The talks between Zimbabwe's chief political foes, Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai are literally dead unless the aged Zanu (PF) leader changes his stance and accepts to give the opposition leader the position of Prime Minister with significant executive powers, Zimdaily can reveal.

 

Information obtained over the past couple of days shows that rather than what President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa has repeatedly been promising- continuation of talks and a deal likely "soon"- Mugabe is actually preparing to relaunch a crackdown on the opposition, civil society and the media he perceives to be enemies.

 

 

The aged dictator, presiding over a military junta running the country is employing a too typical tactic he hopes could either force Tsvangirai into capitulating or in the words of one Zanu (PF) insider, "blindly soldier on as head of state using brutal power and force".

 

Zimdaily has confirmed that since the breakdown of Mbeki-chaired talks on Tuesday, both Mugabe and Tsvangirai have held meetings with their henchmen-in the case of Mugabe-and advisors as well as party executive-in the case of Tsvangirai.

 

Three members of Tsvangirai's executive have told Zimdaily that there was unanimity among themselves that the MDC leader should not accept "being used by Mugabe to rubberstamp his failures and escape mounting pressure by taking up the position of Prime Minister but yet without any significant powers".

There is only one option, one of the MDC officials said, "pulling out of this whole thing is almost inevitable, only one chance remained, and it is was at the SADC summit we attended and failed to agree ".

 

The MDC, another senior official said "would rather leave Mugabe and his party to rule if they think they still can".

 

The party's secretary general, Tendai Biti sounded the disgruntlement and widening of cracks around the talks when contacted for comment before he left for South Africa last Thursday.

 

"We are seriously worried by what appears to be dishonesty on the part of the regime, and this threatens the ongoing dialogue," he said following a farcical episode on the unfolding drama when Tsvangirai, Biti and Elphas Mukonoweshuro, their party's secretary for foreign affairs were blocked from leaving for SA Thursday afternoon and had their travel documents confiscated by agents of Mugabe's junta.

 

On the other hand, Zimdaily has it on good authority that Mugabe met members of his junta and resolved that "either Tsvangirai changed his position or its game on", meaning the regime would cling onto power and wage a new wave of terror to maintain a stranglehold on power.

 

"Mugabe has contemptuously dismissed Tsvangirai after the talks broke down and said giving him any significant powers would be akin to selling out the country," an impeccable source said.

Given that scenario, it has emerged that the junta is bracing for an offensive as soon as it is official that Tsvangirai cannot be hoodwinked into a deal under its terms.

 

The crackdown, an intelligence source said, would include "fixing" Biti, who was arrested two months ago and charged with treason for allegedly subverting the Electoral Act.

 

The plan would spread to a countrywide terrorization of MDC officials and supporters, harassment of civil society as well as independent media practitioners.

 

Junta's deputy information minister Bright Matonga said when contacted for comment, "My friend I don't know what you are talking about and therefore can't comment anything."

 

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