Zimbabwe ? On paper – and it’s a paper he has yet to sign or even publicly admit exists – President Robert Mugabe appears to be acknowledging at last that he cannot rule Zimbabwe alone.

Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader and a leader of a smaller opposition faction were to sign a power-sharing deal today that has resulted from weeks of negotiations mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki and Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opposition leader, announced a deal late Thursday. They gave no details, saying the agreement would be made public today. Members of the opposition first gave the broad outlines Friday, and media controlled by Mugabe confirmed their version Sunday.

Even the time of today’s ceremony had not been released by late Sunday, but South African officials said Mbeki was to attend with his Foreign Affairs minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and Sydney Mufamadi, a Cabinet minister who has led the mediation effort.