VII. Failing Power-Sharing and Human Rights Reform Although now a partner in the government, the MDC lacks real power to institute its political agenda. President Mugabe and ZANU-PF, through the use of politicized and partisan senior government officials and state security forces, continue to maintain power and dominate government institutions. Using violence and repression to browbeat and coerce the population, Mugabe and ZANU-PF are effectively running a parallel government that undermines MDC authority and frustrates meaningful progress by the power-sharing government. Pedzisai Ruhanya, a media analyst and former deputy news editor of the banned daily, The Daily News, told Human Rights Watch: Any reforms that take place in Zimbabwe are at the pleasure of ZANU-PF— which, in real terms, controls government. Unfortunately ZANU-PF does not have the necessary political will to institute reforms. The MDC may wish to institute reforms, but it lacks political power to do so.73 Mugabe’s and ZANU-PF’s contempt for the power-sharing government was exemplified by the treatment of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak. Nowak, who received official invitation from the government of Zimbabwe in October 2009, was en route to Zimbabwe for a mission on October 26, 2009, when Zimbabwe’s foreign affairs minister (ZANU-PF), Simbarashe Mbengegwi, suddenly advised him to postpone his visit. However, Prime Minister Tsvangirai wrote a letter asking Nowak to proceed with his trip as originally scheduled. On arrival at Harare Airport, security officials there refused him entry into Zimbabwe, citing authority from the foreign affairs minister, despite Nowak’s provision of the original letter of invitation from the prime minister. He was detained at the airport overnight and then deported to South Africa the following day.74 MDC’s lack of authority in the power-sharing government extends even to protecting the ministries allotted to it by ZANU-PF. On March 4, 2010, without Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s consent or knowledge, President Mugabe stripped four MDC-controlled ministries of all 73 Human Rights Watch interview with media analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya, Harare, February 16, 2010. 74 Statement to the 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council by Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Geneva, March 8, 2010. Sleight of Hand 22