I don’t like Arthur Mutambara - for any number of reasons. He reminds me of a younger Mugabe is his speech pattern and I do note that somehow his faction of the MDC - distinctly the smaller - did not have any violence visited upon them as the Tsvangirai faction did last year.

I also note that Mutambara has quite a bit of dissention within the ranks of his faction - which seems to be getting smaller with each passing day. MP’s are supposedly defecting to Tsvangirai’s faction and there seems to be quite a bit of dissatisfaction at his leadership qualities.

I was not surprised to read on the internet this morning that Mutambara had stated that for the sake of unity, the Tsvangirai faction should accept the unilateral appointments of the RBZ governor and the Attorney-General.

What we must never lose sight of is that the smaller MDC faction has a bit of say in the ‘unity’ government, insofar as whoever Mutambara allies his party with has the outright majority.

So when Mutambara decides that this week he will support Mugabe “for the sake of the unity” then we must realise that this is a measured gamble that he takes - that does not necessarily have the support of his faction.

As I wrote in my main blog this morning: “Mutambara misses the point. You don’t unite for the purposes of unity. You cannot ally with another for the sake of an alliance. He, of all people, should understand this. The MDC split over senate support and attempts at a re-unification have failed - and yet he would have all of the political parties unify in government so that he can proclaim Zimbabwe unified...”

To make an alliance with Mugabe for no other reason than it is an alliance is foolhardy and littered with problems - and accountability.

Mugabe continues to put the Tsvangirai faction under incredible pressure, arresting various members of that faction and having them face the most fanciful of charges (and then holds those people answerable for the ‘crime’ for inordinately long periods of time just to remove the accused people from applying any weight to the faction’s decisions), but I do note very little of like pressure being applied to the Mutambara faction.

The acrimonious split in the MDC, and the questionable tactics being adopted by the smaller faction’s leader leaves much to be deliberated over in Zimbabwean politics.

The decision that Mutambara has made to give support to Mugabe for his actions which fall outside of the signed agreements are plainly indicative that not only does Mugabe support the split, but Mugabe probably orchestrated it.

Regardless of the idea that any loss of seats for a period of one year cannot be contested, ZANU PF are obviously intent on ensuring that their people somehow rise to the top, these being people that outwardly are MDC-Mutambara, but are, in reality, Mugabe supporters.

It is plain to see, and yet it is obviously acceptable, that the faction leader cosies up to Mugabe and hopes that they might receive a slice of the pie as reward.

Only time will prove me right or wrong - and either way, Mugabe will be the only real winner in this venture.

Mutambara will ally himself to the highest bidder, and it would appear that it is Mugabe’s party that have won.

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man