The way forward!

Even under the best of circumstances, going into a coalition government is a dicey proposition fraught with dangers for the uninitiated. Most coalition governments do not last for very long because they are, by definition, a marriage of convenience at best and in the case of the MDC and ZANU-PF, a forced one. If one partner in such an arrangement is an evil genius, such as Robert Mugabe, the stakes for the other party are even more daunting. No doubt this experience continues to provide plenty of learning opportunities for the MDC.
Going forward, the MDC must guard against Mugabe's manipulative machinations. The cases of the attorney general and the governor of the central bank will be milked by ZANU-PF not only to buy time but also to divide the opposition between those who view these cases as red herrings and those who see a political victory if Mugabe is forced to eat humble pie and fire these two unilateral appointments. For some in the movement, such a development would be the equivalent of the proverbial slippery slope, which would mark the beginning of the descent of Mugabe into oblivion.
I would rather be more pessimistic because I suspect there will be a face-saving agreement which will cost the people of Zimbabwe a lot of money, with multiple offices being created to accommodate these loyal Mugabe henchmen, not least among them ambassadorships.
After all, the real attorney general in Zimbabwe is Mugabe himself. Johannes Tomana cannot reasonably be thought of as a man of his own mind. Central bank governor Gideon Gono has largely been sidelined and rendered irrelevant by finance minister Tendayi Biti.
Our friends in the movement should be thinking about building institutions, practices and traditions that will be the bedrock of any long term settlement of our national troubles, as opposed to getting bogged down in the sterile political maneuvering which has been the hallmark of ZANU-PF politics for thirty years and for which the people of Zimbabwe are now paying a heavy price.
Easier said than done? That may be the case, but if I were a politician of any colour, I would not bet against the collective wisdom of the people of Zimbabwe who will, ultimately, be the final arbiters in all these matters.