Mugabe Bring Back Itai Dzamara
13 January 2017
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Tinotenda Mrewa |On 9 March, 2015, President Robert Mugabe’s dreaded CIO abducted Itai Dzamara at a Barbershop in Glen Norah. Itai Dzamara is one of the fiercely youth who confronted the Mugabe regime calling for the immediate stepping down of President Mugabe.

He became the first activist to deliver in person a petition to Robert Mugabe. Itai was protected by the constitution of Zimbabwe which guarantees the right to petition and puts human rights as sacred.

As the year begins I take this opportunity to rekindle the flame on the Itai Dzamara issue, lest we forget. Zimbabweans back at home and those of us in the diaspora must never forget that we must act until Mugabe and his minions account for Itai Dzamara. On 07 January 2017 a group of us in the diaspora that included Rashiwe Bayisayi, Elizabeth Chakachaka, Patrick Chatukuta, Benjamin Chigamba, Flemming Diza, Nomusa Dube, Sibongile Gumbo, Jean Kawara, Fungayi Mabhunu, Emmanuel Magarira, Phillip Mahlahla, Nancy Makurira, Rosemary Maponga, Gladys Meck, Sharon Moyo, Tinotenda Mrewa, Lloyd Mudzengerere, Lucia Mudzimu, Roseline Mukucha, Alfredy Mukuvare, Beverley Mutandiro, Nontokozo Ncube, Mduduzi Ndlovu, Chipo Parirenyatwa,Newman Richard, Jennipher Sabe, Maxmus Savanhu, Alice Shimika, Douglas Tavengwa and Maureen Tavengwa, Simbarashe Mutero and Cathrine Musa took to the streets to demand that Mugabe accounts for the whereabouts and fate of Itai Dzamara. To refresh our memory below is a bio of Dzamara and what he stood for:

 

Itai Dzamara is a Zimbabwean journalist and political activist known in Zimbabwe mostly for his Occupy Africa Unity Square campaign against the government of President Robert Mugabe. He became famous through his hand delivered petition to the president of Zimbabwe and the Occupy Africa Unity Square which he founded. Dzamara was born on August 7, 1979 at AlI Souls Mission in Mutoko. He is married to Sheffra Dzamara and the couple have two children, a son named Nokutenda Dzamara and daughter Nenyasha Dzamara. Itai attended Mbizi Primary SchooI in Highfield before moving to Highfield High SchooI for his ordinary and advanced level studies. He studied journalism and mass communication at Christian College of Southern Africa in 1999 and had enrolled for a Bachelor of Laws degree.

Itai Dzamara advocated for the occupation of the Africa Unity Square in Harare, located on the heart of the Harare city centre adjacent to the Parliament Building. The Africa Unity Square is also a few blocks away from the offices of the president and this made the occupation a potential security threat. According to Dzamara, the occupation of the square was a way of communicating dissatisfaction in the country’s leadership particularly President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF government. At inception Dzamara’s OAU movement had 50 members who participated in the first sit-in at Africa Unity Square. The Zimbabwe Republic Police deployed almost 70 members in heavy riot gear to disrupt the peaceful protest. After the occupation, Dzamara wrote;

“We occupied Africa Unity Square today, yet again forced the state to respond, and, yet again, demonstrated our goodwill by agreeing to negotiate. We are the people! We are the numbers!”

Those that gathered with Dzamara at the square said they wanted a response from President Mugabe, to the demands for him to admit failure, step down and pave way for a process towards finding a new national plan for governance and leadership renewal.

The Petition to President Mugabe – On Friday 17 October 2014 Itai Dzamara wrote a letter to President Mugabe requesting him to retire from office. He hand delivered the letter to the President’s office at Munhumutapa Building in Harare. According to him, the petition to Mugabe encouraged him to step down immediately and pave way for a process of engagement involving all national stakeholders, towards the establishment of a new administration that takes over, to manage the country and prepare for fresh elections. After being sent to several offices at Munhumutapa Building, he was later on released after having been advised not to go through with his plans.

Detention – After going back to the president’s office, Dzamara and his two colleagues were taken to a holding area where armed police officers watched them carefully. Dzamara wrote that the intelligence officers from the president’s office regarded them as high profile suspects and they deserved high level security surveillance. They were transported the Harare Central Police Station where they were immediately take to the underground holding bays. Senior police officers came one by one quizzing Dzamara about his agenda of occupying the Africa Unity Square. They warned him of the devastating consequences of the move but he remained adamant.

Torture by the Police – The final episode of the “Occupy Africa Unity Square” demonstration ended sadly for Dzamara as he was severely beaten by the Zimbabwe Republic Police support unity force which was deployed in full force. Dzamara was beaten together with his fellow activists and his lawyer. He was taken to a local hospital where he was given treatment. A few hours after he was admitted into hospital, the social media was awash with photos of Dzamara lying unconscious after the beating at the hands of the police. He shocked the people when he started posting articles on his Facebook page called The News Leader encouraging the people to continue with the peaceful demonstration against the Mugabe government. He warned the people not to engage in violent revenge against the police or the government.

The Abduction – Itai Dzamara was abducted by five unknown assailants while in a barbershop on 09 March 2015. This was the second time that Dzamara was abducted after he was reported to have been abducted again together with four other people who were part of the Occupy Africa Unity Square in December 2014. The abduction of Itai Dzamara has been a serious dent on the government of Zimbabwe which stands accused of aggravating both assaults and abduction of Itai Dzamara. Numerous diplomats who include US, French, Canada, Australia and the EU have voiced their concerns on the safety of Dzamara who remains unaccounted for. Activists at home and in the diaspora, have also been vocal on the abduction arguing that the government has abdicated its duty to guarantee personal security of its citizens, individual freedoms and the right to petition as guaranteed in Chapter 4 of the constitution.

The Itai Dzamara issue has also become a rallying point for Zimbabweans and we should emulate the bravery and actions in removing the Mugabe regime. As we begin the year let’s all come in our numbers and declare 2017 the year of accounting for Dzamara and the end of the dictatorship in Harare