It was all over the television news channels, and all over the internet yesterday and today. Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Mutambara have signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

Big deal!

No. It isn’t. This was all about elbow room, and, as I wrote on my main blog, this will be interpreted by the watching world as a victory for mediator Thabo Mbeki, as opposed to a success for Zimbabwean - or even African - politics.

I find this particularly worrying, as, reading through the Memorandum, I see nothing that doesn’t just indicate that all the three parties are doing, is sweeping the floor before beginning to talk.

Up until the day that Mugabe announced the March elections, the MDC (both factions) were allegedly talking to ZANU PF. What changed?

Mugabe declared a date for the election and that put a stop to any dialogue.

But I do hasten to add that at the time that Mugabe pulled this move, he had just received the support from the MDC to push through a Constitutional amendment that gave him additional powers - such as naming his successor - but he hadn’t quite got to the part where he repaid the favour…

I state in my main blog that Mugabe is not a man of huge virtue, insofar as he has not stood by the signature on agreements before. A look at the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979 will reveal a lot more of Mugabe’s apparent allergy to upholding his side of any agreement.

That being said, the three parties are meant to be starting with talks towards a ‘power sharing’ government. Those talks, according to reports, are due to start in South Africa as soon as tomorrow.

I look forward to seeing just how Arthur Mutambara plays things, as his faction holds 10 seats in parliament and those seats can swing the majority at will.

When the three men were videoed after the signing, Morgan Tsvangirai shook hands over Mugabe, raising their clasped hands in victory. Mugabe reach up, broke the hold to hold their hands himself. I wonder…

Perhaps I am too conscious of things happening, but in the photograph of the three leaders - Arthur Mutambara, Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai - I see that Mutambara is on Mugabe’s right hand. Is this a portent of things to come?

So, the grovelling and begging, the scheming and planning is done. Now starts the serious work. And whatever is agreed, the party that represents the will of the people - Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC faction - must be sure that all t’s are crossed. All i’s are dotted, and that there is no ‘Get Out Of Jail’ clause for Mugabe to use, so that if and when he does pull an audacious move to double-cross the MDC factions, the sight and scenes prove beyond any reasonable doubt, that he is, in actual fact, up to no good and looking to preserve his own skin rather than look after the good people of Zimbabwe.

Caution! Talks now in progress!

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man