Mugabe tries to bribe MDC – Biti

to be working with the opposition.
The state media projected the story about opposition officials who were given farming equipment and use it to portray a magnanimous Mugabe, a move observers said could a smokescreen created by the regime to cloud its blocking of efforts at a political settlement to end the Zimbabwean crisis.
“Mugabe is a cornered man, desperate for any opportunity to portray signs of normality,” Biti said. “There are doves and hawks in Zanu (PF). On the one hand there is a crackdown on the opposition, right now 20 of our members are still languishing in prison more than two months since being arrested for nothing and we are being denied our liberties. But there is another component of the regime saying let’s bribe the MDC, let’s come up with a half-baked settlement, only to maintain the Zanu (PF) system of dictatorship.
“But we are not going to be bribed because we have seen through this. We are saying let’s have genuine dialogue and reforms to come up with solutions to the problems created by this regime.”
Mugabe particularly emphasised the inclusion of MDC officials in the line-up of beneficiaries of tractors and other agricultural equipment at a function on Monday. He urged more cooperation between the two MDC wings.
However, some of the MDC leaders reported to have benefited from the equipment denied any involvement in the scheme. – Itai Dzamara