By Bridget Mananavire
HARARE – Two weeks after pro-democracy activist Itai Dzamara was abducted in broad daylight in the Harare high density suburb of Glen View, there is still no trace of him anywhere.
The Occupy Africa Unity Square leader, Dzamara was abducted after visiting his barber on a Monday morning, leaving his wife Sheffra, two small children and family distraught and anxious about his health and welfare.
Dzamara’s lawyer, Alec Muchadehama told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that there were no leads yet on the missing journalist.
“We have not yet heard anything from the police and there has not been anything tangible to lead us,” the well-known human rights lawyer said.
Opposition parties and human rights organisations have blamed the government and Zanu PF for Dzamara’s disappearance, with government being recently compelled by the High Court to find him.
The United States’ State Department also been cranking up the pressure on the government, releasing an statement on Friday registering the fact that it was “deeply concerned” about Dzamara’s disapperance.
“The United States urges the Zimbabwean authorities to mobilise their full resources to locate Mr Dzamara and investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Dzamara’s disappearance.
“We remain deeply concerned by the disappearance,” State department spokesperson Jeff Rathke said in the statement.
“The United States stands with Mr Dzamara and the people of Zimbabwe in defending the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” Rathke added in his statement.
In the meantime, Dzamara’s family has been holding press conferences, appealing to whoever abducted him to bring him back.
Most of the international community, through the various local embassies, has also expressed its concern over Dzamara’s disappearance, pointing out that it was necessary that he be found especially as Zimbabwe was attempting to re-engage with the West.
Dzamara last year staged a series of protests of demonstrations at Africa Unity Square, demanding that President Robert Mugabe steps down because of his alleged misrule.
Dzamara was also once hospitalised after being beaten severely by the police during one of his demonstrations. Daily News
