Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and longtime rival Morgan Tsvangirai will sign a power-sharing deal on Monday.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai last week agreed a pact to end a deep political crisis compounded by the veteran leader's disputed and unopposed re-election in June.

Zimbabweans hope the agreement will be a first step in helping to rescue the once prosperous nation from economic collapse.

Inflation has rocketed to over 11 million percent and millions have fled to neighbouring southern African countries.

Under the deal brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki, Tsvangirai would become prime minister and chair a council of ministers that supervised the cabinet.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron hand since its independence from Britain in 1980 and will remain president.

Analysts say the power-sharing deal is fragile and will require former enemies to put aside their differences and work closely to overcome scepticism, especially from Western powers whose financial support will be vital for recovery.

The two political rivals met on Saturday and agreed to share out 31 cabinet posts. The powerful state security ministry was abolished while the justice portfolio was split into two and a new prisons department was formed.

The supreme decision making body of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) group, its national council, met in Harare on Sunday and endorsed the power-sharing agreement.

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