"... My belief in Zimbabwe and its people runs deeper than the scars I bear ..."

Report by Stephanie Nolen and Shakeman Mugari, for the Globe and Mail:

A grim and agitated Robert Mugabe ceded some of his hold on Zimbabwe Monday for the first time in nearly three decades in office, as he and his sworn enemies in the Zimbabwean opposition signed a 54-page deal that will, in theory, see them share the job of governing the shattered nation.

It was, in its way, a very Zimbabwean settlement: Both sides made major compromises. There is no outright victor, and there will likely be no dramatic change – not soon, anyway. But for a nation whose citizens have a visceral determination to avoid conflict, however bad things get, the deal offers a cautious way forward.

Under the agreement, Mr. Mugabe remains President of the country he has ruled since its independence in 1980, while Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, will take up the newly created post of prime minister. In theory, Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and the MDC – both Mr. Tsvangirai's larger party and a small splinter faction – will split the cabinet posts, although the sides have yet to agree on how.

The MDC has pegged its survival on obtaining control of the crucial ministries of Finance, which will allow it to tackle inflation, currently above 11 million per cent, and Home Affairs – and with it, the police force. If the party can make immediate changes in fiscal policy and restore the rule of law, its leaders believe, then international donors, which have isolated Mr. Mugabe's Zimbabwe, may step in with vital assistance.

But Mr. Mugabe has signed this deal under huge pressure from regional leaders, many of whom flew into Harare for Monday's ceremony, and may simply be stalling. The deal gives him continued control of the cabinet and armed forces, while the prime minister controls a parallel executive council.

At the signing ceremony, Mr. Tsvangirai urged reconciliation and rebuilding. “I have signed this agreement because my belief in Zimbabwe and its people runs deeper than the scars I bear from these struggles,” he said. “Party divisions no longer matter to the people of Zimbabwe. The hand with which I signed this agreement is the hand which I extend to President Mugabe. … Our lives begin now.”

Mr. Mugabe gave a rambling, sometimes nearly incoherent, address. As he has before, he railed against meddling by foreign powers: “The problem that we have now is a problem that has been created by a former colonial power wanting to continue to interfere in our domestic affairs,” he said.

At this, Mr. Tsvangirai covered his face with his hands, while opposition supporters in the gallery jeered loudly.

Thomas Mhandara, 30, a long-time MDC member who came to celebrate the signing, saw change in the offing. “It's not an outright victory, but, if you look at where we have come from, then you will realize why we are here today,” he said. “We have scars, broken bones and bashed heads from this man [Mr. Mugabe]. … That we dragged him to the negotiating table and took away half of his powers in the process is something we are happy about. … We have half his power. Soon he will be gone.” [Emphasis mine - Andrea]