Mbeki seeks to save Zimbabwe deal

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The MDC and the government are still deadlocked over a decision by President Robert Mugabe to allocate key cabinet posts to his own Zanu-PF party.

Morgan Tsvangirai is the opposition, the MDC, leader and he has threatened to pull out of a power-sharing deal agreed last month.

Mugabe's actions do not violate the agreement, according to Zimbabwe's government.

On Saturday a government list published gave the main ministries, including defence, home, foreign affairs, and justice to Zanu-PF.

Boniface Chidyausiku is the country's ambassador to the UN and he told sources that the post of finance minister was still open for negotiation.

Tsvangirai said that if the Zanu-PF wanted the defence ministry than the MDC must have home affairs. Home affairs controls the police.

Tsvangirai spoke to a crowd in Harare and told them that if Zanu-PF do it that way than they have no right to be part of such an arrangement.

He said that people have suffered but if it means more suffering for people in order for them to get what is at stake than that is the way it is going to be.

The current agreement states that Mugabe remains president while Tsvangirai becomes prime minister.

Zimbabwe is experiencing a crippling economic crisis as of lately and on Thursday an announcement was made that said Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate had soared to 231,000,000%.

Over the next six months the UN will need $140m for food aid in Zimbabwe and this all stems from disputed elections back in March when Tsvangirai received more votes than Mugabe but not enough for outright victory.

Back in June Tsvangirai pulled out of a run-off vote and he accused Zanu-PF militia and the army of attacking MDC supporters which left around 200 people dead.

Many critics say that Mugabe triggered the economic crisis when he decided to seize white-owned farms for land redistribution ahead of parliamentary elections in 2000.

Mugabe said that it is sanctions by the west, which target him and his chief supporters, for wrecking Zimbabwe's economy.