Tsvangirai takes the plunge and is sworn in

The leader of the opposition in Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been sworn in a the country’s new prime minister. Also sworn in were his two deputy prime ministers, including Arthur Mutambara, who leads a dissident faction of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change. It follows months of wrangling with President Robert Mugabe over just how many jobs in the government would be given to MDC ministers, and how important those jobs would be.

It appears both men have filled cabinet positions with political allies regardless of their specialist skills, which could be a recipe for further mismanagement in a country with hyperinflation, 90 percent unemployment, malnutrition, wrecked health and education systems, and a cholera epidemic. It is also possible Mugabe will continue to frustrate his prime minsiter at every turn. If the two rivals do manage to work together, it will be a surprise.

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tags: Zimbabwe