Tofa, The Bible and the Quest for Democracy and Democratization in Africathere be created a position for the Prime Minister. However, internecine
disputes ensued as ZANU PF and MDC-T disagreed on the duties and
powers of the Prime Minister and President. This derailed progress. The
MDC wanted the Prime Minister to have more powers than the Presi-
dent whereas ZANU PF wanted the President to have more powers than
the Prime minister. These disagreements mainly stemmed from the fact
that the parties were negotiating from two different platforms. The MDC
based its argument on the understanding that Tsvangirai had won the 29
March harmonized elections while ZANU PF maintained that Mugabe
had won the 27 June run-off “elections”.
The talks collapsed a number of times as a result of these disagree-
ments. However, as compromises continued to be made, the parties
finally made an agreement and on 15 September 2008 and an agreement
to form an all-inclusive government was singed. This agreement was
signed before the parties agreed on the allocation of ministries. Talks on
the allocation of ministries began and the parties agreed that ZANU PF
allocated fourteen ministries, MDC-Tsvangirai thirteen ministries and
MDC-Mutambara three ministries.
Mugabe initially allocated the ministries as follows: ZANU PF was allo-
cated the Ministries of Defense, Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Trans-
port, Local Government and Urban Development, Mines and Mining
Development, Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement, Environment, Natu-
ral Resources and Tourism, Higher and Tertiary Education, Small and
Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development, Justice and Legal
Affairs, Media, Information and Publicity, Women Affairs, Gender and
Community Development, Finance, Youth Development, Indigenization
and Empowerment.
MDC Tsvangirai was allocated the Ministries of Constitutional and Par-
liamentary Affairs, Economic Planning and Investment Promotion,
Energy and Power Development, Health and Child Welfare, Labor and
Social Welfare, Water Resources and Development Management, Public
Service, Sport, Arts and Culture, State Enterprises and Parastatals, Sci-
ence and Technology Development, Information Communication Tech-
nology, Public Works, National Housing and Social Amenities. The
MDC-Mutambara was allocated the Ministries of Education, Industry
and Commerce and Regional Integration and International Co-opera-
tion. As is evident from the list, ZANU PF scooped all the powerful