Tsvangirai Sabotages His Own Party

While Tsvangirai is willing to pursue the dictator to Kingdom Come, Tendai Biti and others believe Mugabe is "moving goalposts". So, he's reverted to type then?

In a move certain to anger  Tendai Biti and the MDC-T National Council, Morgan Tsvangirai has decided to take the route of quietly defeating his Council's resolution to take the dispute over jobs for the boys to SADC.

The Prime Minister was advised by the president that SADC does not respond to statements by political parties. They will only engage a government. 

Consequently, unless one of the Principals in the government approaches SADC with a grievance, SADC would simply ignore the resolution of the aggrieved political party. (Mugabe also falsely clams that unless the Principals ALL agree to declare an impasse, they can not approach SADC).

Tsvangirai has decided not to take the matter to SADC. You will notice that since he came from that meeting in Masvingo at the Flamboyant Hotel, Tsvangirai has made no moves whatsoever to make the request to SADC.

It appears he is taking Mugabe's advice and simply sitting back, while his National Council think that their Resolution is enough to elicit a call from Jacob Zuma to ask after them. 

Tsvangirai remains very much committed to dialogue with Mugabe. He is willing to go the distance, cajoling and praising the dictator in the hope of charming him into capitulation.

I also learnt today that Mugabe's main arguing point, which the Prime Minister appears unable to counter effectively is that the GPA signed by the three parties clearly states that the Inclusive Government "will give priority to the restoration of economic stability and growth in Zimbabwe."

Mugabe is insisting that this has not been done and it would be hasty to start talking about other things, such as Governors and the like, when the priority item was still outstanding.

This is why you have heard Tsvangirai, over the last two weeks, at pains to emphasise that the government has stabilised the economy, brought inflation down and restored the supply of goods and services in the shops.

Mugabe is refusing to buy this and he has much evidence of his misrule to point to in the economy to bolster his position that the priority is STILL not attended to.

As Tsvangirai kept pushing, Mugabe had agreed to give a verbal commitment to addressing the MDC-T outstanding issues, but benchmarked against certain milestones on the economic front.

These had to do with the lifting of sanctions and the aid Zimbabwe receives from outsiders as a result of the efforts of the Inclusive Government.

Tsvangirai appeares to want to go along with this.

But, Tendai Biti is dead against the idea. He believes the dictator is trying to "move the goalposts" and that he can not be trusted one bit to do as he says should the MDC-T succeed.

But the frustration Tsvangirai has expressed at the West's reluctance to chip in with funds is evidence of the fact that he believes should there be even just a portion of Zimbabwe monetary needs released by the West, he would have an upper hand. He would go to the dictator and say much more could come if did A, B and C.

Right now, Tsvangirai does not have that bargaining chip.

And this is also one of the reasons Mugabe reminded him in the Herald a couple of days ago that he has "done nothing" since taking office.

In any case, Tendai Biti and Co. must now demand that the Prime Minister approach SADC as Prime Minister and Principal and formally declare an impasse or crisis.

If they do not do this, that Resolution will hang in the air like a bad smell for the rest of this government's life. Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Mutambara will simply continue to refuse to declare an impasse.

Tsvangirai will tell his executive that unless the three principals ALL agree to take the matter to SADC, it can not be taken there.

They should not believe him.