Robert Mugabe strutted to the podium of the Harare International Conference Centre, leant on the lectern and spoke off the cuff. He rambled on for 50 minutes like a garrulous, self-important relative at a wedding everyone regrets having given a chance to speak.

They booed and jeered him constantly during his backward-looking, resentful address.

This is the holy of holies where Zanu (PF) holds its congresses, events devoted to days of squirming sycophancy and prostration before His Excellency, the Most Consistent and Authentic Revolutionary Leader. It was clear that it was not going to be like that yesterday, the day that Zimbabwe’s bitter political rivals put their names to an historic power-sharing deal.

As Mr Mugabe talked about the MDC learning from his party’s experience in government, an elderly woman shouted at the once-revered leader: “All you could do was make hunger.” The fear and awe was gone.

In contrast to Mr Mugabe’s reception, Morgan Tsvangirai was welcomed by thundering cheers, whistles and wild waves of the open hand, the salute of the Movement for Democratic Change. Even Arthur Mutambara, leader of the smaller faction of the MDC, was greeted with laughter after he had signed the agreement.

Outside the conference centre was something that has never been seen since the MDC first showed its face to Mr Mugabe nine years ago. A relaxed and cheerful crowd of thousands, MDC and Zanu (PF), not exactly hobnobbing, but cheering side by side.

The Zanu (PF) supporters were in colourful new T-shirts, sporting bright green, red, yellow and black bandanas. The MDC supporters’ red, white and black regalia was old and torn. Doubtless most of it had been retrieved from nooks in township houses where Zanu (PF) mobs could not find them or beat their owners to death.

I took my notebook from my pocket, opened a page and held my pen ready. For the first time in years I was able to do this at an official occasion, while in the midst of a crowd of Zanu (PF) supporters. I excused myself to pass through them. “Please pass, sir,” they said.

One Zanu supporter stretched out his hand to an elderly woman in a T-shirt bearing the face of Morgan Tsvangirai. “We are one now,” he said. She pushed it roughly away. Most people here have memories of horror.

“We were not forced to come here, like these boys,” she said. “They were given money by Mugabe to come here. We came here on our own, by foot. We don’t want Mugabe.. . . Now Tsvangirai is our executive prime minister and we are happier than happy.”

The same hopeful sentiments were expressed over and over. Ali Paraje said: “I don’t feel at all threatened from today. With this deal we are safe. If anyone tries to attack us, they will definitely be arrested.”

By the time the ceremony was over the MDC supporters outside the main entrance were in a frenzy, chanting “chinja, chinja, chinja, chinja” (change) in the faces of Zanu (PF) supporters.

Outside the locked gates of the complex a volatile crowd of several thousand more were demanding that they be opened. There was a short burst of warning shots and police dogs barked ferociously to keep the crowd at bay.

Suddenly stones the size of golf balls landed – Zanu (PF) youths started an assault on the gates. The police scattered with the rest of the crowd. A young MDC man with a bloody mouth shook his head in disgust.

Retribution against some of the Zanu (PF) supporters started. Between two ornamental bushes, a stocky Zanu (PF) supporter yanked off his T-shirt with Mr Mugabe’s face on it and stuffed it into the back of his trousers. For the past eight years, wearing an MDC T-shirt was an act of bravery. Now the boot is on the other foot.

Wonder Hogo showed me the scar on his left leg where it was broken by Zanu (PF) supporters in 1982 because he refused to go to a rally, and the deep gouge in his back inflicted before the June elections this year. “I am now very happy that we are going to have peace, that we are over with this scourge,” he said.

Something significant had happened here, even if scepticism remained as to what extent Mr Mugabe will relinquish control. A psychological shift had taken place in the past four hours. Suddenly Zanu (PF) were outnumbered, the police were not beating people for wearing MDC T-shirts and Mr Mugabe made an old fool of himself in the conference centre.

A wave of emotion, confidence and strength swept through these people regardless of the detail of the deal that Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai signed.

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