By Peter Biles
BBC News, Johannesburg
President Thabo Mbeki African leaders in Zambia for Mwanawasa funeral ...
Mugabe jeered at opening of parliament ...
Mbeki leaves Zimbabwe after inconclusive power-sharing talks ...
ANC hero ...
Mugabe continues to defy critics ... returned home to South Africa last night with the satisfaction of pulling off a remarkable deal - an agreement by Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai to share power in Zimbabwe.
But the reaction on the streets of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, has been muted.
There is no sign of any celebration.
For most people, it is business as usual, which means the daily grind of standing in bank queues, trying to withdraw money.
Inflation in Zimbabwe is running in excess of 11,000,000% per annum.
There is bound to be scepticism about this deal until the full details are revealed on Monday.
And so the atmosphere is far more subdued than it was after the elections at the end of March, when supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change began to think that Mr Mugabe's days in office were numbered.
Parallel governments?
The composition of the new government is as yet unclear, with Mr Tsvangirai expected to meet Mr Mugabe on Friday to discuss the appointment of cabinet posts.
It is thought that Mr Tsvangirai will become prime minister and will chair a council of ministers, which will be charged with the day-to-day running of the country.
However, it is also understood that Mr Mugabe will head the cabinet, and that will consist of his two vice-presidents, Morgan Tsvangirai, the two deputy prime ministers and the cabinet ministers.
How the two bodies will work together is still to be explained, but observers say there is a fear that political paralysis could result from the formation of two "parallel governments".
Adam Habib, a political analyst from the University of Johannesburg, says it does not look as though President Mugabe is being sidelined as a ceremonial head of state.
"This negotiation has occurred in the context of a stalemate where Zanu-PF still controls the armed forces, and the MDC is absolutely crucial because it has massive support and you won't get the reconstruction funds without the MDC," he said.
"Robert Mugabe will definitely have some role in the new government, some significant capacity, although it's likely to be diluted from the last time the negotiations stalled".
Pivotal moment
After seven weeks of tough negotiations, there has clearly been compromise from both sides.
Mr Tsvangirai had wanted Mr Mugabe to leave office, while it is not in Mr Mugabe's nature to concede power.
The agreement could rehabilitate Mr Mbeki's image, Mr Habib said.
"He's been criticised heavily in South Africa," he said. "He's also been criticised internationally on the Zimbabwean question.
"If he succeeds here, his legacy gets established, particularly on the African continent."
The new administration will have a huge task in reversing Zimbabwe's fortunes.
Mr Mbeki told a news conference that he hoped everyone would support the agreement and extend a hand of assistance.
Observers regard this as a pivotal moment in Zimbabwe, with many international donors cautiously optimistic and poised to re-engage with the government in Harare, after years of isolation.
But one senior diplomat said the donors would want to assess the strength of the power-sharing agreement before returning to the country with international support.
(BBC)
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