via Tsvangirai condemns Dzamara abduction – The Zimbabwean 10 March 2015
MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai this afternoon condemned the reported abduction of Itai Dzamara, a journalist and human rights activist.
Dzamara is said to have been whisked away from a hair salon in Harare’s Glen View suburb yesterday by suspected state security agents and his whereabouts are still unknown.
He led the Occupy Africa Unity Square (OAUS) protest from last year, pushing for President Robert Mugabe to step down and a stop to human rights abuses and poor governance.
The OAUS secretary general, Charles Nyoni, has confirmed the abduction.
Unconfirmed reports say a man resembling Dzamara was found dead today in the Goromonzi area, close to a known state torture camp but it could not be established if it was him.
Police attended the scene and were said to be barring passersby from seeing the body or taking photographs.
Tsvangirai broke from his birthday commemoration to give a brief press conference on the abduction at Harvest House this afternoon.
“Today is supposed to be my birthday and I never budgeted that on what was supposed to be my day of joy, I could end up talking about a morbid abduction and disappearance of an innocent citizen. As a party, we fear for the worst,” said Tsvangirai.
“The callous abduction of Itai Dzamara has come as a complete shock to me, to the MDC and to Zimbabweans at large. Only yesterday, we heard he was abducted from a hair salon and driven away in an Isuzu vehicle by five unknown men. Late afternoon yesterday, I received a call from his wife, saying Dzamara had been abducted and the family could not find him,” said Tsvangirai.
He expressed shock at the abduction saying MDC-T were “in no doubt as to the perpetrators of this abduction.”
He said his party held President Robert Mugabe and his government liable for the abduction, which he described as “morbid and senseless”.
“The president, who is also AU and SADC chair, cannot preside over a country where innocent citizens get abducted and disappear,” said Tsvangirai.
He recalled recent statements by Mugabe’s deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, that he was trained to kill while addressing party supporters in his former Chitumanzu-Zibagwe constituency which his wife will be contesting in a by-election.
“It is no wonder that with such reckless and misguided talk from the top leadership of the country, an innocent Zimbabwean is abducted in very suspicious circumstances.
“We hold the State culpable. We hold Zanu PF responsible. We demand a full investigation and arrests of the culprits so that Zimbabweans can live in the comfort that we have a government that cares and takes seriously its responsibility to protect citizens,” said Tsvangirai.
Many opposition supporters and critics of the Zanu (PF) government have been abducted, tortured and killed by alleged Zanu (PF) militias and state agents in the past.
Dzamara has been arrested in the past for leading the OAUS campaign that has been held peacefully so far.
COMMENTS
Zvatanga! Are we going back to the sad era of the 2008s? Unmarked cars. Torture.
Disappearance of Mukoki. Cry my beloved Zimbabwe. Is it necessary? Isn’t it that opinions always vary? I thought we were past that!
We are praying for your safe return to your family and the Zimbabwean nation.
Indeed we pray that Itai will be returned safely to his family. It comes as no surprise that these barbaric ZANU PF idiots continue to abuse people, and human rights defenders in particular, without any shame. One of these days they will push the people too far!! Tavakuneta nokuchemera hama dzedu!
time for mass disobedience and demonstrations
I too pray that Itai will be found safe and sound, if not then it is time for everyone to say eneough is enough, there will be no more killing from today!
idiots. horo dzeanhu. and u hear rimwe richiti heee RGM is a libarator. where is the liberty. where is the freedom we fot for. may God potect the children of Zimbabwe.
This is the real face of Mugabe and ZANU PF’s hold on power. Not the chummy-chummy facade that the EU and some investors have been slowly warming up to since 2013’s rigging floored the opposition.
Lets pray and hope he comes back home in one piece and still breathing – knowing the record of his abductors.
Simon Khaya Moyo just criticized MT for saying out his mind on what could have happened. MDC officially condemned it and the Zanu PF government is silent yet they the ones in power and should be in the forefront of condemning this kind of a horrible act. Lord Jesus we ask you to show mercy on this innocent soul. He does not deserve death as the devil and his children in Zimbabwe think
Oooh Zimbabweans you have praying to God since1990 to solve your political problems bt to no avail. You want God to save you from the shark called mugabe whilist ur hands a folded watching? You need to act first then God will asst.
Short of a miracle, the situation is looking dire for this young man.
We can pray all we want but ZANU is firmly in the seat and will do what it wants until we say enough is enough.
They destroy our country.
They kill us.
But still, we await divine intervention.
How convenient,let him disappear while i run off to the far east and hopefully let them find the body in my absence,even though every one blames the police,deep down they know the order came from yours truelly.after all i m used to eating my own eggs if they get in my way.
What are the benefits for abducting people expressing their views peacefully if you are worthy leaders? You are murders: Pathetic rulers using the foolish police who do not know their job description. Shame on you