On Monday, a historic power-sharing deal was signed in Harare between Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and the two factions of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara.

The deal is a major achievement for the long-suffering people of Zimbabwe.

It was nothing less than the votes of hundreds of thousands of courageous Zimbabweans in March of this year that forced ruling party Zanu-PF into negotiations with the opposition.

However, in spite of the hope that is now building, there is a simmering of doubt as to how well the deal will work in practice.

Under the agreement, Robert Mugabe will remain as President and Head of State, and Morgan Tsvangirai will take the reigns as Prime Minister.

Once convened, the new government - one of 'national unity' rather than 'transitional authority' - has committed to lifting many of the current restrictions on the media and political activity and will oversee the drafting of a new, people-driven constitution.

Recognising the need to review one of the former regime's most controversial policies, the government also promises a full audit of the land reform programme.

President Mugabe, under article 20, will retain the authority to adopt all government policies and will chair Cabinet, giving him most power in the new arrangement. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will, however, enjoy a majority of ministers in the Cabinet.

Certain emotive aspects of the agreement, such as allocation of ministerial portfolios, still have to be agreed upon.

International commentary has been cautiously welcoming, but most governments have indicated that current sanctions against Zimbabwe will not be lifted until they see a new direction in government.

Thankfully, the deal is expected to accelerate food distribution to all areas of the country after months of disruption.

Since ZANU-PF banned NGO activity in June, humanitarian agencies have been largely unable to reach vulnerable communities. With shortages of food and medicine for up to 5 million Zimbabweans, including the many Zimbabweans who are living with HIV and AIDS, humanitarian assistance is currently one of the top priorities for the country. It is too early to say whether the new government will humanitarian work easier to carry out, but analysts are hopeful.

After years of courageous work, civic and church groups on the ground are relieved that a deal has been reached. The emphasis on economic recovery and restoration of agricultural productivity has been welcomed.

Other civic groups, however, have been critical of the lack of firm agreement on the prosecution of perpetrators of political violence and human rights abuses.

Finally, commenting on the closed nature of the negotiations for the deal, one of the country's leading human rights organisations Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights reminded us of the following:

'The authority to govern derives from the will of the people... Therefore this arrangement of convenience must be short term and must be used to create conditions, which allow for the credible return to electoral legitimacy, which places effective popular participation at the centre of our choice of leaders.'

Whichever way this deal pans out, Zimbabweans will need the support of the regional and international communities to ensure that the political will for the implementation of this potentially life saving deal is forthcoming.

At this juncture, they deserve nothing less.