This might pave way for MDC leader Welshman Ncube to assume the deputy premiership, but insiders claim his interest in the post has become lukewarm since Mugabe declined to swear him in earlier this year.
“Ncube is busy campaigning for the next election and he is not interested in the position,” an insider said. “We donated Mutambara and the deputy prime ministerial position to Zanu PF and we are not interested.”
Sources revealed that the ageing leader was reluctant as ever to let go of Mutambara, but a number of issues, including a witch- hunt following Zanu PF’s loss in the vote for Speaker of Parliament, have added pressure on him to reconsider his position.
Hawks within Zanu PF are said to be angry that the decision to keep Mutambara seems to have made the two MDCs close ranks and unite against Zanu PF in the elections of the Speaker and in future.
“Keeping Mutambara seems to have backfired and now Zanu PF is weaker in parliament with the two MDCs keen on working together,” the insider revealed.
Mugabe is also said to be trying to appease the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), which came hard on him at the troika summit in Zambia last month.
South African president, Jacob Zuma is said to have questioned Mugabe privately on why he was subverting the will of the MDC by keeping Mutambara in government, when it was clear that he had been disowned by his party and his legitimacy in government was questionable.
“Mugabe was stung by the last Sadc meeting and he is keen to make peace with regional leaders, he will be making concessions bit by bit,” a Zanu PF confidante revealed.
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What gives credence to the June date is that Mutambara had initially asked to be in power until June when he expects to have completed his Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme.
“When Mutambara was initially asked to vacate the post, he asked that he stay on until June when he hoped to have made headway in his PPP initiative,” the source revealed.
“But now with Mugabe’s indigenisation drive that initiative has all but fallen away and Mutambara has become expendable.”
The president is also said to have remarked that he had been handicapped because on one hand he was dealing with Ncube and on the other hand he had to deal with Mutambara.
