H UMA N R I G H TS WATCH 350 Fifth Avenue, 34 th Floor New York, NY 10118-3299 H U M A N www.hrw.org W A T C H Sleight of Hand Repression of the Media and the Illusion of Reform in Zimbabwe The Global Political Agreement, which in February 2009 created a power-sharing government between the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change, raised expectations for human rights reforms in Zimbabwe. The promised reforms included expanded media freedom and the protection of journalists, which are critical for creating an open, democratic, and transparent society. Sleight of Hand: Repression of the Media and the Illusion of Reform in Zimbabwe, based on research conducted in Zimbabwe in February 2010, documents how, more than a year into the implementation of the Global Political Agreement, these reforms remain unfulfilled, with freedom of expression imperiled in Zimbabwe. Journalists, particularly those who report information critical of the government, remain vulnerable to arbitrary arrest and harassment. ZANU-PF has blocked the licensing of new publications and media outlets not controlled by the party. The power-sharing government has made a few positive changes that ZANU-PF, President Robert Mugabe’s party, has sought to portray as indicative of genuine progress in the protection and promotion of human rights in Zimbabwe. In practice, however, ZANU-PF has blocked meaningful political reforms that would safeguard those rights. Human Rights Watch calls on the parties to the power-sharing agreement to fully implement the envisioned reforms, including those concerning free expression. In addition, the region’s governments—particularly South Africa—should press for legal measures in Zimbabwe to ensure media freedom and protect journalists, civil society actors, and ordinary Zimbabweans who conduct independent reporting or dare to express critical views. Two human rights groups—Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and Zimbabwe Human Rights Association—marked Africa Human Rights Day on October 21, 2009, with a protest march in Harare calling on the power-sharing government to respect freedom of expression. © 2009 Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi R I G H T S