via Police urged to investigate Dzamara case | The Herald March 13, 2015
Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri yesterday challenged officers to intensify their investigations into the alleged disappearance of MDC-T activist Itai Dzamara, who was reportedly abducted on Monday. He said the abduction was unfortunate and urged the police to be vigilant in their hunt for those responsible for this.
“Our Constitution from where we draw our mandate among others, expressly says in Section 219 subsections (a) to (d) and I quote; ‘There is a Police Service, which is responsible for (a) detecting, investigating and preventing crime; . . . ‘no one should be abducted handiti’, (b) preserving the internal security of Zimbabwe; . . . ‘arrest those who abducted’, (c) protecting and securing the lives and property of the people and (d) maintaining law and order’,” said Comm-Gen Chihuri .
He was addressing officers who were leaving for the United Nations International Peacekeeping mission in Liberia and Abyei.
Other officers recently returned home from similar missions in Liberia and South Sudan.
Comm-Gen Chihuri said the spirit of international peacekeeping was not different from their constitutional mandate as being executed at home.
Meanwhile, Dzamara’s wife, Sheffra, filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court yesterday demanding the release of her husband.
Mrs Dzamara also wants an order compelling the police and other security agents to work with lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to search for the MDC-T activist.
In this case, she wants the team to conduct searches at all holding cells and centres for the Central Intelligence Organisation and military police and to report progress of search to the High Court by 10am on each day until his whereabouts have been determined.
“In the event that respondents deny knowledge of Itai Dzamara’s whereabouts the respondents do all things necessary to determine his whereabouts including advertising within 12 hours of granting of this order on all State media including all radio stations, ZTV, The Herald and the Chronicle,” reads part of the draft order.
Sheffra listed Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, State Security Minister (no longer existing), Police Commissioner-General Chihuri and CIO director-general Retired Major-General Happyton Bonyongwe as respondents.
The matter is expected to be heard today before Justice David Mangota. Sheffra is represented by Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni law firm.
On Wednesday, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa also said Government would institute full investigations into the alleged disappearance of Dzamara.
This came as rowdy MDC-T activists assaulted and injured two police officers on Wednesday, deployed to contain an illegal demonstration at Parliament over the disappearance of Dzamara .
The alleged disappearance dominated Parliament’s question time on Wednesday as MDC-T legislators demanded to know what Government was doing about it.
In responding to one of the questions, VP Mnangagwa said Government condemned the alleged abduction that he described as “barbaric” and said State machinery would be put in motion to bring those responsible to book.
“We are exceedingly concerned about the matter that has been reported in the media. Whoever is responsible must be brought to book and I can assure you that the police will do everything to ensure that those responsible are brought to book,” said VP Mnangagwa, who is also Leader of the House.
COMMENTS
Can someone confirm I read this correctly: Disgusting Chihuri told a group of officers who are on their way to Liberia to keep an eye out for Dzamara?
In Zimbabwe we face the question: Who will guard the guards.
The ZRP has become so corrupted and so embroiled in party politics, that they are trusted by no-one to do a fair job.
In this particular case, Itayi Dzamara was seen as an embarrassment to the Zanu PF government. It therefore makes sense that he was probably abducted by pro-government stooges, possibly even police in plain clothes.
Now we are asking the police to investigate a crime that was most likely committed either by their political patrons, their proxies or possibly even by the police themselves.
This is the state of the rule of law in Zimbabwe.
Everything has been subverted to the one and only goal of keeping an unpopular Mugabe in power.
Were it not so tragic, this would be hilarious.
Chihuri quoting the constitution in the defence of the individual?
Man rides rough-shod over everything including disruption by his goons of “legal” peaceful demonstrations by the opposition and WOZA, amongst others.
This is what’s called; “taking the piss”, in a big way.
Unfortunately this guy would never be found alive since it is clear as daylight that his abduction was undertaken by state security officials on instruction. If he is indeed found and the truth came out – action would have to be taken against the state operatives involved and that would never happen.
It is clear that this type of thing can only happen in a dictatorship where human rights are totally disregarded and the dictator’s interests come first. The Zimbabwe regime has done terrible things in the past – and it will only become worse in future as the economy deteriorates further and unhappiness in civil society escalates.
Ah, you gotta love Zim. It just keeps giving and giving. Corruption, nepotism and dodgy law enforcement. Genocide? Well, RGM knows all about that. As you lay dying RGM I will whisper in your ear Gukurahundi.
I am told the Reg Number of the two vehicles which were used to abduct the subject were noted. Surely from the Vehicle Data base which we are always hammered with fines if not in order should be the starting point.
I am reminded of a ruthless husband who murdered his wife and buried her in the back gardern and told the world that “he will not rest until he apprehended the people who did this evil thing to his wife”
There is surely a demon in Zimbabwe especially in the echelons of power. Remember the culprits are never found and brought to justice….Mujuru, 2008 Disappearances, etc
A good suggestion about the number plates issue – but I think the state security operators would have used false number plates in this case. The problem remains the body of the guy may be found – the guilty participants will never be found until there is a change in Government.
That is the way vicious dictatorships operate and that is how ZANU-PF dealt with opposition in the past. It is no use to have small demonstrations against the dictatorship – 50 000 people should march to the presidential palace and kill the root cause of the problem.
may this be the catalyst
Amen sister