Mliswa donates tonne of maize to Dzamara family

By Lance Guma

Former Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa, who was expelled from the ruling Zanu PF party, has donated a tonne of maize towards the upkeep of the family of journalist turned activist Itai Dzamara who has been missing for over 6 months.

Dzamara, an outspoken government critic, was abducted from a barbershop in Glenview on the 9th of March. Witnesses say five men, suspected to be state security agents, approached him and accused him of stealing a cow before they grabbed him and shoved him into a white Isuzu twincab.

Since Dzamara was the sole breadwinner, various organisations and individuals have been contributing towards the upkeep of his family.

In addition to the tonne of maize donated by Mliswa, Nehanda Radio understands various embassies and organisations including the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have contributed in cash and kind.

We also understand the Itai Dzamara Trust (IDT) will be launched on Tuesday at the offices of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human in Harare. Mliswa is also expected to attend. The new trust is expected to play a key role in making sure the Dzamara family is looked after.

Speaking to Nehanda Radio, Itai’s brother Dr Patson Dzamara said;

“The trust essentially seeks to perpetrate Itai’s legacy while at the same time attending to human rights issues. And it does not at all signal that we have resigned to the pronounced fate that he is nomore. We still hold on to hope and we are convinced that his work and legacy has to be carried on even in his absence.”

Dzamara quit journalism to become the fearless leader of the Occupy Africa Unity Square movement that called on President Mugabe to resign and make way for an interim administration that would drag the country out of its current political and economic crisis.

In October last year he was arrested after handing in a petition to Mugabe that was delivered to the presidential Munhumutapa Offices. Since then he had been arrested, assaulted and tortured several times for his protests.

In November Dzamara was admitted to a Harare hospital alongside human rights lawyer Kennedy Masiye after both sustained serious injuries from brutal assaults by more than 20 police officers that disrupted their protest.