Minister reluctant to provide update to Parliament on Itai Dzamara case

Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe has still not come to Parliament with a statement on how the government is dealing with the case of Itai Dzamara, a journalist and political activist who was abducted eight years ago by suspected state security agents on March 9, 2015 in Glen View, Harare.

In the past eight years efforts by his wife, Sheffra Dorica Dzamara, to ascertain his whereabouts from the government have continued to hit a brick wall.

Eight months ago, Willias Madzimure, Kambuzuma Member of Parliament, asked the Minister to come to the National Assembly with a statement on what the government is doing with Dzamara’s issue.

On Thursday, Madzimure asked why the Minister was taking time to bring the statement to the house.

“Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. It is now almost eight months since I raised a point of national interest on the disappearance of Itai Dzamara,” he asked.

“I asked the Minister of Home Affairs to come to this House and inform us on the investigations that he had said they were conducting on the disappearance of Itai Dzamara who disappeared on the 9th March, 2015.

“On two occasions the Minister promised to bring a Ministerial Statement updating the nation on the investigations. It is now more than eight years.”

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda responded: “I take responsibility with my Clerks-at-the-Table to ensure that the Minister will give that statement.”