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Why are Biti and Chamisa so desperate to join Mnangagwa’s illegitimate government?

For four years that the MDC was in government they did not press for any meaningful political or electoral reforms except the new constitution. They simply joined the gravy train and ZANU-PF ministers told them to join in as this was not a pensionable job.

It was only when Mugabe announced dates for elections that they rushed to the Southern African Development Community to stop the elections but without success.

While Biti likes to sing about his success as Finance Minister, which nobody can steal from him, nobody wants to talk about how the MDC was outmaneuvred by ZANU-PF when the parties formed the inclusive government.

Under the Global Political Agreement signed by the parties on 15 September 2008, the new government was supposed to have a cabinet of 31 ministers, 15 from ZANU-PF and 16 from the two MDC factions.

When Mugabe announced the cabinet it had been expanded to 47 ministers, 25 from ZANU-PF and 22 from the two MDC factions.

It was that administration that ran the country for the next four years, no questions asked. The MDC joined in despite this gross anomaly.

What then has changed so much that Biti and Chamisa think they can do better?

Absolutely nothing.

In fact, despite the cries from the public, Zimbabwe today is not as bad as it was in 2008 or early 2009 when the inclusive government was formed.

Indeed, people may be going through a rough patch but Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has promised that the current hardships will be over in four months.

He says that after December, the administration will be focussing on jobs, growth and productivity.

Most people do not believe Mthuli Ncube, but as he said in an interview on Tambarara, that has been his biggest problem.

Zimbabweans do not believe him when he says something only to express shock and dismay when he implements what he told them.

If Mthuli Ncube succeeds, this will be the death knell for Biti and Chamisa.

Maybe, just maybe, they know something we do not know, otherwise why would they want to join a sinking ship?

 

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Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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