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Latest on the talks
Thousands of supporters of ZANU PF and MDC have already been celebrating in front of the convention centre in Harare where the ceremony is taking place. But it’s a compromise for both sides and it’s still not clear exactly how it’ll work.
So will it bring the stability that the country so desperately needs and how will the international community react?
Scroll down for news, reaction, and your chance to post comments and updates.
11:07am
The BBC temporarily lost its satellite link to Zimbabwe – hopefully this is not a bad omen for the peace-keeping deal. It’s restored in time for Mugabe’s speech.
Tsvangirai is calling on all the parties to “put the interests of the nation first and work together for a new Zimbabwe”. He also calls on the international community to bring that about more quickly by lending their support. As Reuters reports today the European Union has already deferred any decisions about its sanctions on Zimbabwe. Before the deal, the EU had planned to add on more names to a list of Zimbabwean officials whose assets are frozen and who are banned from travelling to Europe.
10:43am
Mutambara has told Mugabe and Tsvangirai that their task now is to make the deal work. “We fought viciously, now we must deliver on deal,” he says.
Tsvangirai has just got to his feet, to yet more cheers. He makes a round of thanks to Mbeki, the people of Zimbabwe and so on, before getting on to the question of why he signed the deal – “for the hope of a new beginning”. He has chosen to be guided by hope in order to see a “rebirth” for Zimbabwe, he says.
10:25am
Mugabe and Tsvangirai just shook hands, although blink and you’d have missed it. It wasn’t the warmest of handshakes but it’ll still be the picture on tomorrow’s front pages.
10:19am
Mbeki has introduced Mugabe as president, Tsvangirai as prime
minister and Arthur Mutambara, leader of a smaller opposition faction, as deputy prime minister. Leaders of the 14-member regional bloc and of the African Union are at also the ceremony. It’s an historic moment – the end of three decades of power for Mugabe. In spite of the carnival atmosphere, Mugabe appears to be the only person in the room who is not smiling. Tsvangirai looks relieved.
10:06am (BST)
This is the moment. A cheer goes up as the formal signing process takes place. It looks more like a Hollywood awards ceremony, with South African president Thabo Mbeki, who brokered the deal, paying tribute to all those who made it happen. The cheering and clapping continues as Mugabe and Tsvangirai put their signatures to the paperwork.
What they said
Tsvangirai:
“I would like to thank the people of Zimbabwe for adhering to the principles of peaceful, democratic development. We had two options: To put aside our differences … or to plunge our country into the abyss of a failed state. ”
He quoted Mugabe in 1980: “Let us turn our swords into ploughshares”.
“I have signed this agreement because my belief in Zimbabwe and its people runs deeper than the scars I bear from these struggles.”
“Today every one of us has a decision to make … shall we be driven by the hope of a new, better, brighter country. The hope of a new beginning.”
“Let us invent a common future. This does not mean we must forget about the past decades of hardship.”
“The agreement we signed today is the product of painful compromise. It does not provide an instant cure. The road ahead will be long. Patience is a virture.”
“Hope alone will not deliver a new Zimbabwe.”
“This new, inclusive government will introduce a new way of governing.”
“As prime minister designate I call on all supporters for Zanu-PF and MDC to unite as Zimbabweans. Divisions, polarisation and hatred belong to the past.”
“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.”
Then it was the turn of Mugabe, who said:
“This gathering is a re-enactment, in my view, of that togetherness, the partnership, the co-operation that has seen processes taking place here leading here to a number of our countries achieving their independence.”
“Yesterday, as we of Zimbabwe sought to liberate ourselves and the fight was between us, the people of Zimbabwe and the oppressors, it was the frontline states who, together with us, shaped the struggle, that led to our independence.”
“We, the Zimbabweans, decided that it was not right and proper, never just at all, for a people like ourselves to bear the yolk of colonialism and oppression.”
“Today, as we were faced and confronted by an intractable foe, here we are once again. They (the frontline states)are with us.”
“I don’t see any British among them!”
“African problems must be solved by Africans.”
“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.”
“Zimbabwe’s land belongs to Zimbabweans”.
“They spoke of regime change and they are still speaking of it. They imposed sanctions. We had not attacked Britain, we had not done anything to Britain. We had not attacked America. Why, why, why the hand of the Americans here? Let us ask that.”
Signing agreements with malevolent intent is nothing new. I keep being reminded of documents signed by Chamberlain and Herr Hitler several decades ago.
Indeed, what actually is the difference between Uncle Bob and the Fuhrer?
God help Zimbabwe.
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This is what we have been praying and waiting for. Its a new biggining Zimbabwe we are free. Now we must look at the work at hand.Hope Mugabe will not change but he has been cornered. He has to accept. Its not about him its about the people of Zimbabwe.Hope there is going to be freedom of all, No more west this west that.We need development, jobs, health care facilities. No racizm, no discrimination. Whites you are all welcome to Zimbabwe, we will have laws in place to protect all citizens of the land. i know there are some lunatics who are against this historic moment, you will see them now sending negative comments in the websites, dont worry about them.They are scared that they have been benefiting but now all will be gone. there will be rule of law. i know our Police force were forced to do all these things because of hunger, now they will be well paid and they will do their jobs proffesionally as they did in the early 80′s.It does not bother us that Mugabe did not smile during the signing ceremony, expected what would he have smiled for.Zimbo’s where ever you are pray that this dispensation work.I salute all of you where ever you are. GOD BLEES YOU ALL.
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Read Mugabe’s speech he is still talking about Britain and America stupid idiot what has the signing got to do with America or Britain? The fool will never change any way it does not surprise me these are the last words of a dying fool.Instead of talking about the way forward he still talks about the West stupid isn’t. Morgan you said it all my Brother teach this fool how it is done.
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This is a good sign although we as Zimbabweans would have been happier with Uncle Bob out of the picture at all. We just hope now that the deal is not going to be just a bunch of signatures on paper. ZANU-PF are running the country like it is their personal property and we hope we they realise the amount if damage this has caused and now they need to respect the interests of the ZIMBABWEANS and conform to all the bindings of this new agreement. We just pray that the Lord will be with our beloved country and we look forward to better days to come. The people have suffered enough!
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I just hope that teis deal will help us solve all the economic and political problems we are facing. But Iam a bit woried because of Mugabe. He is known to have chamelionic tendencies and I just hope that he wont prove us right. To Tsvangirai, I say “Save musacheuke muridzo, ngwarirai mabasa eZANU.”
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Having listened to the three spe****s live, I’d say what a show of irrelevance by that awful old man! Still stuck in his usual Chimurenga and anti-West rhetoric, he not only failed totally to capture his audience, but also drew booz and heckles from his listeners.
Arthur ane dzungu. I do not know who he was trying to impress by artificially harping Pan-Africanist sentiments which he clearly does not embody. His speech was a poor rendition or a pathetic remixof the old man’s favourite lines.
Chematama, on the other hand, was quite succinct, getting straight to the issues that matter: national healing, food, jobs, health, transport etc. It was evident from the audience that he is the people’s choice.
From the spe****s, it was also easy to separate the man from the boys!
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Mugabe’s speech correctly reflects what he stands for in this government-THE PAST-and should remain there until he leaves office. Zimbabwe has too many problems, we do not need history. Our pressing need is food, jobs and dignity.
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i still need to have a view of the full final document to have peace of mind and celebrate independence. what did they agree on? pease guys justr release the damn comments and let us decide if it is time for me to come back home or stay out a little longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Josh I think it is time to go home. The PM needs our support. He correctly pointed out that the success of the agreement depends on the commitment of each individual Zimbabwean.
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“Some cats know the right time to open their eyes”.This is typical of Mtambara’s rise after Welshman blunder.They boy is now a Deputy PM like it or not.I hope he will stop brutalishing his wife.His neighbours in Jozi had to petition the daily noise of a crying wife.We are having drama on the political table of our beloved country!!
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