Cracks Appearing in Zimbabwe's Eight-Week-Old Unity Government

Just one week after Zimbabwe's cabinet gathered in retreat in the resort
town of Victoria Falls seeking to achieve cohesion on a program of national
recovery, indications are emerging of serious rifts within the unity
government cobbled together just eight weeks ago.

A showdown was looming between President Robert Mugabe and his partners in
the unity government, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara of the two Movement for Democratic Change
formations over Mr. Mugabe's transfer of major portfolio powers from
Communications Minister Nelson Chamisa of Tsvangirai's MDC grouping to
Transport Minister Nicholas Goche of Mr. Mugabe's own ZANU-PF party.

The portfolio assignments include oversight of state communications
including state-owned fixed-line phone company TelOne and Mobile provider
NetOne, and ZimPost. Chamisa had clashed earlier with Information Minister
Webster Shamu over those entities.

An outraged Nelson Chamisa told reporter Gibbs Dube of VOA's Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe that the president's move was illegal and violated the September
2008 power-sharing pact.

Elsewhere, the New York Times reported that senior officials in Mr. Mugabe's
ZANU-PF party including ministers and members of the Joint Operations
Command of security agency chiefs have organized a campaign of violence and
intimidation intended to pressure Mr. Tsvangirai and his MDC to agree to a
blanket amnesty for past crimes by senior officials.

The Times report said amnesty is particularly sought for perpetrators of
political violence last year following the March elections in which it is
estimated some 200 people died, mostly members of the MDC, which claimed a
parliamentary majority after years in opposition.

As VOA reported Thursday, a number of top ZANU-PF and security officials
have formed a shadowy group called the Social Revolutionary Council whose
purpose, say ZANU-PF sources, is to frustrate government aims and ultimately
destabilize the unity government.

The Times said Mr. Mugabe's top lieutenants are using abductions, detentions
and torture to press for amnesty in connection with events going back to the
Gukurahundi campaign against loyalists of Joshua Nkomo in Matabeleland in
the 1980s.

The Times quoted Didymus Mutasa, formerly minister of security, now minister
of state in Mr. Mugabe's office, as acknowledging top ZANU-PF officials
might be worried about prosecution.

Responding to information from sources as to the existence of a high-level
group opposed to Mr. Tsvangirai's program, ZANU-PF Chief Parliamentary Whip
Joram Gumbo dismissed the notion that ZANU-PF hardliners want to sabotage
the unity government.

Researcher Glen Mpani at the Center for the Study of Violence and
Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa, said holding the MDC to ransom
will be counter productive.

London-based political analyst Last Moyo told reporter Ntungamili Nkomo that
tensions between ZANU-PF party and the MDC are putting the unity government
in jeopardy.