via Eight months on, no hear, no see – The Zimbabwe Independent November 13, 2015
ALTHOUGH Monday marked eight months since the dramatic disappearance of journalist-cum-political activist Itai Dzamara , President Robert Mugabe has remained mum despite public demands and letters written to him by Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch to do something about it.
Staff Writer
The two organisations have written to Mugabe calling on him to set up a judge-led commission of inquiry into the disappearance of Dzamara, who was forced into an unmarked vehicle on March 9 this year and has not been heard from since.
This was after he had taken a petition to Mugabe’s offices, asking him to step down on account of his failure to deliver on election promises to create 2,2 million jobs, tackle the country’s perilous economic decline and resultant endemic poverty.
“After he delivered the petition, the trouble started,” said his wife Sheffra in a recent interview with AI. She also spoke of the pain of losing her husband of nine years and called on the international community to pressure Mugabe to act on his disappearance.
“This is very difficult for me. Itai did nothing wrong. Everything he did is allowed in the constitution. He protested peacefully and never destroyed anything. He didn’t even retaliate when they beat him up. He does not like violence,” said Sheffra.
“I would urge everyone out there, and other governments, to help us put pressure on the government to say something about Itai. President Mugabe has not said anything about him.”
Sheffra said that Dzamara’s disappearance has also impoverished the family as he was the breadwinner, adding that “we now rely on donations to be able to afford day-to-day essentials”.
COMMENTS
R I P ITAI DZAMARA
The killer UNIT acted on him.
It would be betrayal of the highest order to normalize relations when these rogues are killing and abducting people like this. Proper sanctions should be imposed until human rights are respected. Nobody is safe in this environment. It started with people like chitepo, jz, tongo, Edson Sithole, victims of puma trucks, mujuru, nleya, Cain nkala, all unaccounted for gukurahundi disappearances, 2008 casualties, murambatsvina victims, the mabikas/chiminyas of the early 2000s, the ndiras, the silent jestina mukokos and it will continue until ZANU is placed in the dustbin. We have butchers for leaders. Yet they show humanity only one of their own gives up the ghost even under drug addiction. Those still with strength are going to account one day soon. The frail invalids will be saved by the grave unfortunately. Such evil cannot be condoned even by diaboros in his devilish characteristics. Yet they call themselves our liberators. A band of thieves and murderers chete.