The short version is that everything is screwed up and the deal is collapsing.

There is, however some good news, which is that after Mbeki’s latest visit, the SADC has defacto taken him out of the process, because both sides have asked the SADC to intervene directly, as opposed to through Mbeki, in what Tsvangerai calls “Tsvangirai slams Mugabe’s dialogue of the deaf.”

This really should help things move along, because Mugabe no longer has a biased ally at the negotiating table, though actually holding the meeting may be problematic, because Tsvangerai cannot travel to the meeting until he is
given a passport by the government.

As a result of all this, we have warnings of new sanctions from the US and EU.

Both the MDC and Botswana have made calls for a new election, though one wonders how much of that is gamesmanship at the negotiating table.

Of course, nothing involve Zimbabwe would be complete without some truly bizarre machinations, in this case the accusation by the MDC that the deal that was formally signed was changed from what was negotiated, specifically:

• an increase to the number of non-constituent senators issued to the Mutambara faction;
• changes to a clause stating that a replacement for vice prime minister cannot be a non-constituent MP;
• changes to the agreement that parties would jointly consult each other on the appointment of ambassadors and other key government officials.