Patson Dzamara petitions Mugabe, parliament over missing Itai

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

Patson Dzamara on Wednesday delivered a petition to President Robert Mugabe over his missing brother, Itai, a journalist turned activist. Dzamara was abducted on 9 March 2015 after leading protests in Harare calling on Mugabe to step down.

While the courts ordered the State security arms including the police, army and central intelligence to probe Itai’s abduction and report their findings regularly, no progress has been made so far and it is not known if he is dead or still alive.

Patson delivered his petition to Munhumutapa Building, which houses Mugabe’s office, and parliament. He addressed the petition to the president and speaker of parliament, “voicing concern over Itai’s missing and failure of government to run the affairs of this country”.

Wrote Patson: “I have very strong suspicions regarding the abduction of my brother, particularly the manner he was taken which is emblazoned with the fingerprints of State security agents, especially military intelligence.”

He added: “Itai’s only crime was openly choosing to oppose you and your government within the provisions and confines of the constitution of the Republic”.

He said government efforts had failed to satisfy him, the Dzamara family and other Zimbabweans despite its constitutional duty to safeguard citizens’ security.

Patson said Mugabe, as the head of State and government, had “done virtually nothing to assist us as a family to at least unearth what happened to Itai so that we may hopefully find closure to this episode”.

Itai’s abduction has been widely condemned by local and international human rights defenders, diplomats and political parties.

“My name is Patson Dzamara, the brother to Itai Dzamara. I am a Zimbabwean citizen aged 30, writing to you as the head of both the Government and State of the Republic of Zimbabwe on my personal behalf and that of my family and many other concerned, progressive citizens, voicing concern over Itai’s missing and the failure of your government to run the affairs of this country.

“I have very strong suspicions regarding the abduction of my brother particularly the manner he was taken which is emblazoned with the fingerprints of state security agents especially military intelligence. Itai’s only crime was openly choosing to oppose you and your government within the provisions and confines of the Constitution of the Republic.

“He was abducted on the 9th of March, 2015 and to date your Government and state security agencies have failed to find him or solve his disappearance to the satisfaction of me, my family and other concerned Zimbabweans.

“It is a fact that your Government has a constitutional obligation to safeguard the security of each and every citizen, therefore the ultimate responsibility to account for him rests with you His Excellency. I call upon your Government to release Itai dead or alive.

Patson described as “irresponsible, insensitive and unfortunate” a statement attributed to Mugabe’s spokesperson, George Charamba, that Itai’s abduction was too trivial for the president.

He rapped Mugabe for presiding over a worsening economic crisis and his failure to fix it.

“Post the 2013 general elections and your assumption of office and swearing in of your government, the country’s economic situation is continually sliding down. All economic indicators clearly show that your government has totally lost control over management of the economy,” said Patson.

Zimbabwe is saddled with unemployment estimated at more than 90 percent, a biting cash crisis, struggling industries and the inability to pay civil servants on time.

Patson said Mugabe must issue a statement over Itai’s disappearance, order security agents to “release Itai Dzamara immediately, dead or alive, admit failure to run government, arrange for a transitional authority to run government.

“My position is backed by many concerned Zimbabweans, who, like me, await your response on these matters. We are tired and we can’t continue like this anymore.

In the event that you choose to ignore my demand and request, I shall engage all progressive Zimbabweans within a week and escalate protests in various ways against you in a civil, peaceful and resolute manner as provided for within the Constitution,” added Patson. Nehanda Radio