Cops foil pro-Dzamara demo, impound cars

via Cops foil pro-Dzamara demo, impound cars – NewZimbabwe 26 April 2015

POLICE on Saturday morning foiled a car protest by friends of missing pro-democracy activist Itai Dzamara, saying it was illegal.

Friends of the missing journalist-cum activist plotted a demonstration in Harare’s high density suburb of Glenview as a way of putting pressure on authorities to up the search for Dzamara.

National Police Spokesperson Paul Nyathi said the protest was illegal hence it was disrupted leading in three vehicles being impounded.

“People must learn to respect the laws of public order and follow proper procedure whenever they want to demonstrate. What happened on Saturday is illegal and as the police we cannot allow lawlessness to go to such levels where someone infringes on other people’s rights to free movement without police sanctioning such an act,” Nyathi said.

Dzamara went missing last month from his Glenview home area with opposition parties blaming the ruling Zanu PF for his disappearance which they claim is an abduction to silence him from criticising the regime.

His friends organised a protest in his home area so that awareness of his disappearance is highlighted.

A convoy of vehicles emblazoned with Dzamara’s images bearing a reward offer for information that could assist in locating him, drove along High Glen road en route to Glenview but were stopped at Glennorah Police station by the cops who immediately impounded some of the cars.

The cops said the vehicles were impounded for disrupting public order and for reckless driving.

Before his disappearance, Dzamara was leading a public campaign calling on President Robert Mugabe to step down for failing the nation.

The Saturday demonstration is just but one of the ways his friends are doing to put pressure on government to find out what happened to Dzamara.

Nyathi said the demonstration was organised by members of Youth Action Alliance of Zimbabwe, a group Dzamara founded to put pressure on Mugabe to deliver the two million jobs he promised during campaign and solve the economic challenges or call it a day.

Among the demonstrators, according to police, was Derreck Fray who was a close ally of Dzamara who worked together with the missing scribe in the YAAZ.