Tsvangirai calls for peacekeeping force for Zimbabwe

For instance, Tvangirai told the diplomats that he was never consulted on all the decisions taken with regards to the country's recently discovered diamond fields at Chiadzwa, Eastern Zimbabwe. The mining rights to the fields were allocated to company's chosen by Mugabe and his Minister of Mines Obert Mpofu.

Tsvangirai also complained to the diplomats that he was never consulted before the recent gazetting of a law requiring all foreign firms valued at US$500 000 or more to relinquish majority equity to Zimbabweans failing which their owners and directors will be jailed.

Tsvangirai told the diplomats that he had last Saturday woken up to news reports that three of his ministers had been stripped off their powers by Mugabe and these had been migrated to ministries controlled by the 86 year old leader's cronies, among many violations of the GPA.

Whenever these violations occur, Tsvangirai told the diplomats that he tries to engage Mugabe who privately admits mistakes in not consulting the other two principals in the unity government but then does nothing to correct the mistakes.

"He seems fed up. He is the Prime Minister but he says he is always kept in the dark on important issues. He says he reads of key decisions in the media....," said one diplomat.

Tsvangirai then told the diplomats that the only way out was the assembling of a peace keeping force to oversee fresh elections in Zimbabwe.

Tsvangirai also told the diplomats that he would ask President Jacob Zuma to intervene and help break the latest deadlock to hit the unity government after Mugabe migrated key departments from three MDC ministers and vested them in those controlled by his cronies.

The state gazette announced last week that Mugabe had re-allocated responsibilities over Information Technology, Labour, Science and Technology, Parastatals and State Enterprises, Parliamentary Affairs, Regional Integration and International Cooperation, and the running of a commission responsible for elections from ministries controlled by MDC ministers to those controlled by those from his ZANU PF party. The reallocation also gave Mugabe's office powers over interception of communications as well as authority to administer the National Security Council Act. Particularly hard hit by the changes was Information Technology Minister and MDC national spokesman Nelson Chamisa who was left without a single department to oversee.

Despite being Prime Minister, Tsvangirai does not have easy access to Mugabe and has to queue to see the President. One ZANU PF deputy minister recently boasted in a private discussion with unfreemedia.com that "I have more powers than Tsvangirai".

Tsvangirai has since met with Mugabe over the latest dispute on the allocation of powers and Mugabe is said to have admitted erring by not consulting Tsvangirai. But Tsvangirai expects no immediate resolution of the dispute like many others that remain resolved and now wants more determined intervention from Zuma.

"Unfortunately, Zuma , like Mbeki, seems to have fallen in the ZANU PF groove...," said one diplomat.

Mugabe told a group of journalists last week that fresh elections will be held next year "with or without a new constitution."