Power-sharing Deal to Go Ahead

[maehara]

BBC reports that MDC/Tsvangirai has agreed to enter government, with the swearing in process set for February 11th. According to the last portfolio split I saw, Sport will be assigned too a minister chosen by MDC/Mutambara - in which case it's possible that there may he enforced changes at the top of ZC in the not-too-distant future. I'm not holding my breath, though - there's still plenty of opportunity for this to fall apart.

[zimfan1]

i wouldent hold your breath looks to me that that tsvangirai has ben pressured into this but only time will tell

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

To be honest, i dont have any hope. We have seen so much in past 5-10 years that any good news seems distant mirage.
Nothing untill Mugabe goes forever.

[ahmed]

To be honest, i dont have any hope. We have seen so much in past 5-10 years that any good news seems distant mirage.
Nothing untill Mugabe goes forever.

You will have to wait until he is dead then, he is never going to leave himself.

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

Ahmed bhai, thats what i meant.

[maehara]

i wouldent hold your breath looks to me that that tsvangirai has ben pressured into this but only time will tell

It's clear that it's very much against Tsvangirai's better judgement - but looking at how ZC have been behaving in the past few months, I think they've been trying to cover their backs against an MDC sports minister turfing them out. Consider:
- selection currently seems to be non-racial;
- the national coach post hasn't simply been handed to one of the inner circle, the current attempt to replace Chawaguta does seem to be honestly trying to get someone decent in (although if Zim keep playing as they are in Kenya, Chawaguta may survive for a while);
- the recent news re: Mark Vermeulen;
- some signs of openness from ZC - Bvute usually doesn't lower himself to talk to anyone, but now we have an interview in the anti-government Independent, and an upcoming interview with CricInfo - who ZC usually refuse point-blank to talk to;
- Chingoka has made no fuss about the Australia travel ban, and has settled for taking part in the ICC's Perth meeting by teleconference, with no attempt to spin political capital out of it;
- the ZC fixture list is packed for the next few months, with more fixtures in the works (winter tri-series etc...);
- honest efforts being made to get the domestic competitions played, despite the economic woes, with changes to the format to try and up the standards.

Probably more things I could cite, but that's a start. This isn't the ZC we've come to mistrust over the past few years - Chingoka and Bvute are smart operators in their own way, they've seen the changes coming and they're getting their house in order so that there's at least a chance they'll be able to keep their positions. Whether they've done enough is another thing.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Clearly, Tsvangirai is walking a tight rope here. Any further failure of Zimbabwe as a country on any front would be seen as a collective failure of Mugabe and Tsvangirai. He has to give enough indications about his different approach towards leadership, even when he is within Mugabe's clutches, irrespective of whether or not those indications would turn out to be useful for Zimbabwean population. Only that will stand him in good stead in the years to come; otherwise he runs the risk of going down with Mugabe.

On cricketing front, as Maehara listed down, there have been a fair share of surprisingly encouraging news coming from ZC. If I may add, efforts to clinch a deal with BCCI for domestic cricket participation in India, and selection of Malcolm Waller and Graeme Cremer are commendable too. Surely now, the Taibu case with the twists and turns it is taking, would probably have a huge impact too. ZC would want to handle it in the best possible way.

[Train Driver]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7872704.stm

Could this be the start of something good at last ?

[maehara]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7872704.stm
Could this be the start of something good at last ?

First step in the agreed process. Constitutional Amendment 19 puts in place the legal framework & structures that the unity government are meant to operate under, including recreating the post of Prime Minister etc. Next step: formal swearing in of Mugabe and Tsvangirai on the 11th.

(EDIT: If you're interested, here's what they passed as a PDF.)

[Train Driver]

I didn't think that it would actually ever happen, but ........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7882762.stm