Army denial of Itai Dzamara abduction ‘foolish’ says Patson
By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
Abducted journalist-cum-activist Itai Dzamara’s brother, Patson, has vowed he will not be intimidated by State security and described the army’s denial of involvement in the disappearance as “foolish”.
Patson called a media conference on Monday where he produced images of what he said was Itai in captivity and blamed military intelligence for his brother’s abduction on 9 March last year.
However, Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore dismissed Patson’s claims as false.
“The Zimbabwe National Army totally denies any involvement in the disappearance of Itai Dzamara. The claims by Itai Dzamara’s brother are totally false and a figment of his own imagination.
“The Army Intelligence does not take orders from any political party. Patson’s claims are just meant to seek media attention and mislead members of the public,” Makotore said.
Patson hit back on Thursday in a brief statement titled “I want my brother back and I won’t be intimated”.
“The army spokesperson is foolish or maybe thinks we are stupid. Of course, they (army) denied they are not responsible for Itai’s abduction. Who would think they would admit?” said Patson.
He rubbished Makotore’s claim that the army did not take orders from any political party.
“For him (Makotore) to state that army intelligence doesn’t take orders from any party is stupid. When soldiers beat up citizens in the locations (high density suburbs) whose orders are they following? There has never been a Zimbabwe national army but a Zanu (PF) terrorist army,” he said.
He urged the police to do its work properly to establish his brother’s whereabouts “or tell us what happened to him because you know”.
“I want my brother and I will not be silenced. I will shame you. This is just the beginning,” declared Patson who has recently been arrested for protesting human rights abuses by President Robert Mugabe’s establishment.
The army, police and central intelligence have for a long time been accused of being used by Mugabe to persecute opponents.
They reportedly played active roles in the intimidation, torture and arrest of members of civil society and the political opposition in past elections where they are said to have participated in vote rigging.
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Jonathan Moyo, this week reversed his statement last year that Dzamara, who led an anti-Mugabe series of protests, had stage managed his disappearance and admitted that he was abducted.
Another Zanu (PF) loyalist, Energy Mutodi, apologised for earlier claiming that Dzamara had fled to Botswana with the help of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T).
The joint security sector was ordered by the courts last year to investigate Dzamara’s disappearance and periodically update the nation on its findings but the authorities say no headway has been so far.
Diplomats, human rights defenders and opposition political parties have repeatedly condemned Dzamara’s abduction. Nehanda Radio
