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Tawanda Takavarasha
Harare Tribune

Robert Mugabe opted to leave for some United Nations summit instead of resolving the issue of the llocation of posts in the new cabinet that was expected following he signing of the GNU deal September 15. Sources within the MDC-M and MDC-T told the Tribune that the issue of the allocation of cabinet posts has temporarily been put on hold, to resume when Mugabe comes back from the UN.

MDC officials fumed at what they called Robert Mugabe's holding of the talks to form the cabinet 'hostage,' arguing that Mugabe shouldn't have left before the talks had been concluded. The two MDC formations and ZANU-PF have been deadlocked over the division of cabinet posts for six days. Sources said Mugabe got fade up with the lack of progress in talks to form the that he decided to leave Zimbabwe for New York for the MDC leadership to ‘reflect’ on their unwillingness to compromise.

It is unreasonable for the MDC formations to expect to be given any key cabinet posts like Home Affairs or Finance, aides to Robert Mugabe told the have said. “Why should we give them those posts? It is enough that we will give them positions in cabinet, what more do they want?” ZANU-PF officials asked.

A document that has been circulating on the internet indicated that the MDC had been given the positions of Finance and Home Affairs. Following the publication of the document purporting to show the

agreement on the division of cabinet posts by the Hon. Eddie Cross, the Tribune picked up the story, but a closer follow up showed the document was counterfeit. The Tribune respectfully pulled down the two stories on the agreement. The matter of the allocation of cabinet posts, following the lack of progress when Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara met last week on Tuesday and again on Friday, has been referred back to the teams that hammered the GNU deal.

No meetings are expected today nor tomorrow, Welshman Ncube, the MDC-M said on Sunday. Earlier last week, Patrick Chinamasa, the former Minister of Justice and ZANU-PF’s chief negotiator, told the media that it could take up to two months for the new cabinet to be sworn in.

The euphoria that had been generated by the signing of the GNU deal seven days ago has been replaced by hopelessness among Zimbabweans. Many had hoped the deal would finally lead to an end to the economic crisis, marked by an inflation rate put at 300 000 000 %, that has ravaged the Southern African country for the past decade.

Analysts have said it is unlikely that the GNU deal would work, while Zimbabwean labour unions led by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) have called the deal an ‘elitist pact.’Western nations led by the United States and Britain have said they will help rebuild Zimbabwe, only if the GNU deal is implemented to its fullest.

As MDC and ZANU-PF refuse to compromise, analysts say it is unlikely an agreement on the formation of the cabinet would be reached soon. The lack of progress following the signing of the GNU has seen a spike in reports of violence across certain parts of the country.

If the cabinet is not formed soon, Zimbabwe might descend into chaos again, human rights advocates have warned. Now that Mbeki has resigned as the President of South Africa, analysts say if the GNU fail, it is unlikely it could be resuscitated.