Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has unilaterally allocated control of key ministries to his ZANU-PF, a state daily reported yesterday, prompting condemnation from the opposition which has been in power-sharing talks with the party.
Citing a government gazette, a list published in the Herald gives Mugabe’s party 14 ministries including the portfolios of defense, home and foreign affairs and justice, as well as local government and media, despite opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai calling in mediators over a talks stalemate.
The allocation would see Mugabe retain control of the army, police and other state security apparatus.
The Herald said Mugabe had allocated ministries “in terms of the agreement signed by the three parties.” Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) gets 13 ministries, among them constitutional and parliamentary affairs, economic planning and investment promotion, labour and social welfare, sport, arts and culture and science and technology development.
A splinter opposition grouping led by Arthur Mutambara will be in charge of education, regional integration and international cooperation and industry and commerce, the report said.
Mugabe’s ZANU-PF signed a pact on Sept. 15 with Tsvangirai’s MDC and Mutambara’s breakaway unit to form a unity government to tackle long-standing political and economic crises.
The paper said that the talks mediator, former South African president Thabo Mbeki, was expected in the country this week to resolve a dispute over the ministry of finance.
Tsvangirai declared a deadlock in the discussions with Mugabe over the allocation of key ministries and provincial governors and said nothing short of the former South African president’s intervention would resolve the stalemate.
The three leaders met on Friday and agreed that there was a need for Mbeki to intervene.
Reacting to the announcement, an MDC spokesman said that the Sept. 15 deal on power-sharing was in “jeopardy” following Mugabe’s “contemptuous” decision.
“What we are seeing is arrogance on the part of ZANU-PF which will put the deal into jeopardy,” MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.
Pouring scorn over Mugabe’s breakdown of posts, Chamisa said Tsvangirai would not sign up to such a government.
“That list does not and will not have the endorsement of the MDC. This is unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous,” Chamisa said.
“They [ZANU-PF] are taking the people of Zimbabwe for a ride. Just yesterday the principals met and agreed there is a deadlock,” he said.
“There is a deadlock and it can only be broken through SADC [the Southern African Development Community and its appointed mediator, Mbeki],” he said.
“If you look at the list it’s as good as running the government by themselves,” he said.
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