Riot police at sixes and sevens as kids join Itai Dzamara protest
By John Cassim
Police on Wednesday were driven to the their weakest point of confusion and failed to retaliate when Harare protestors were joined by Itai Dzamara’s children during the #BringBackDzamara protests in the Africa Unity Square Gardens.
During, The Spirit Of Itai Dzamara March on Wednesday, scores of children offered rose flowers and queen cakes to the police as a show of love.
Although protestors were outnumbered by police in the garden, when confronted the police fled into their trucks as the protestors marked 17 months after the abduction of journalist cum activist, Itai Dzamara.
“We chose love over hatred, flowers over guns, unity over disunity, prosperity over poverty, justice over injustice,” Sten Zvorwadza, who led the commemorations, said.
However the police known for being brutal attacks during such protests retreated to their police vans not so sure how to deal with the situation.
The march on Wednesday came three days after Itai Dzamara’s 37th birthday was celebrated in his absence in the same garden that became his home with a series of anti-Mugabe protests before his abduction on the 9th of March 2015.
“Because of the kids, as you might have realised the kids were leading us as you know in the past, each time we met to commemorate the life of Itai Dzamara in the Unity Square Gardens, police would unleash venom on us,” Patson Dzamara told Nehanda Radio.
The manner in which Zimbabwean police behaved on Wednesday, was a direct opposite of how they broke up a peaceful protest against bond notes in the capital.
On the day at least five journalists were seriously injured when police tried to thwart the peaceful protest.
“Today we decided to give the police flowers and cakes and because of that they could not do what they are accustomed to do,” Patson Dzamara said.
17 months following the mysterious disappearance of Itai, the family is still confident their relative shall one day return home alive.
“Definitely as a family we are still holding on to hope until Mugabe’s government account for him,” Dzamara’s young brother said.
When Itai started his occupy Unity Square Garden some people were too afraid to join him but months after his disappearance, a number of movements have been launched.
Of significance is the #MugabeMustGo, #Tajamuka, #Thisflag and #FreeItaiDzamara that saw the sudden rise of protest preacher Evan Mawarire.
“It is really encouraging that a lot of people are catching up with the spirit of activism unlike in the first days when Itai would be in the garden in solitude,” Patson said.
Dzamara said he was happy as for the first time when Mugabe is urinating on his citizens, they are beginning to realise its urine and not rain.
Patson who is now following the footsteps of his missing brother is a PHD graduate in Business Leadership and majored in Leadership. Dzamara is also an author and one of his books is titled ‘Forced To Fight’ after what the family went through.
He dismissed claims that he could be in activism because of money saying as an expert in his own right he can get employed anywhere in the world.
“Paid by who, I am a professional if I want I can get any job I want because I have been to school. I actually do my own things and do my own projects, and for me to be in activism is actually a demotion but am just doing this because I believe in what my brother Itai started,” Patson said.
During the Independence Commemorations in April this year Patson Dzamara held a one-man protest against Mugabe’s rule at the giant National Sports Stadium.
Although he was tortured after his arrest he remains resolute. Nehanda Radio
