Pictures from Africa Unity Square: Itai Dzamara commemoration

The family of political activist Itai Dzamara of Occupy Africa Unity Square, who was abducted by unknown assailants 17 months ago, held a public ceremony at the Square on Wednesday in remembrance of the former journalist-cum-activist.

“It’s exactly 17 months today (Tuesday) since Mr. Mugabe’s failed gang presided over the abduction of my brother Itai Dzamara. Tomorrow we shall show them that they can’t abduct an idea whose time has come. We now have many Itai Dzamaras. See you at the Itai Dzamara Square at 9am sharp tomorrow,” his brother Patson said on Tuesday.

Dzamara was abducted from a barbershop close to his Harare home on March 9 last year and has not been seen or heard from since. After his broad-daylight abduction in the high-density suburb of Glen View, Dzamara’s wife approached the High Court in a bid to force the police and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to search for her husband.

During the hearing, both the police and CIO denied knowledge of his whereabouts, with authorities saying that investigations into the abduction had hit a dead end. Still, Judge David Mangota ordered the police and CIO “to do all things necessary to determine his whereabouts”, including advertising the case in State media. Nehanda Radio