The latest deadlock has highlighted the tensions in the MDC. Some senior members were keen for Tsvangirai to sign the deal already on the table.
The Ginwala commission of inquiry has exposed massive trust gaps between the cops and prosecutors.
Mandela is 90. But the celebration of a life of leadership, service and generosity is mixed with the sour taste of a legacy being polluted.
The year started on a post-Polokwane note that held out some hope for the opening up of political space and free debate.