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Herald Reporters
The High Court yesterday ordered the State to launch a search for missing journalist- cum-political activist, Itai Dzamara. He was allegedly abducted by unknown assailants in Glen View on Monday. The order comes as police yesterday also launched a public appeal for assistance to locate Dzamara. Dzamara’s wife Sheffra had filed an urgent application to force whoever holding her husband to bring him before the courts.

Justice David Mangota granted a consent order after the State represented by Ms Fortunate Chimbaru of the Attorney-General’s Office, agreed to co-operate in the search for Dzamara.

Dzamara’s lawyer Mr Charles Kawaramba confirmed the latest development.

“The court granted a consent order that the State apparatus should work in conjunction with lawyers for human rights to conduct a search at all places where they have jurisdiction and report every two weeks to the Registrar of the High Court on the developments,” said Mr Kawaramba.

Mr Kawaramba had asked the court to order that in the event that the Minister of Home Affairs Kembo Mohadi, State Security minister, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri and Central Intelligence Organisation director-general Retired Major General Happyton Bonyongwe, cited as respondents, deny knowledge of Dzamara’s whereabouts, the High Court should order them to do all things necessary to determine his whereabouts including advertising within 12 hours of the granting of the court order on all State media including all radio stations, ZTV, The Herald and The Chronicle newspapers. The respondents agreed to do that in a bid to leave no stone unturned in the effort to locate Dzamara.

In their appeal, police urged members of the public with information that might assist in locating Dzamara to contact them.

In a statement, ZRP Senior Assistant Commissioner, Charity Charamba said Dzamara (35), was forcibly dragged by unknown men into a white Nissan Hardbody at Trust Deketeke barbershop in Glenview 7 in Harare.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing for information on the whereabouts of Itai Peace Kadiki Dzamara aged 35 years, national registration number 48-084830-T-48, who left his house proceeding to Trust Deketeke barbershop at house number 10701 in Glen View 7, Harare for a haircut.

“Whilst he was being shaved, it is alleged that three unknown male black (men) entered the barbershop and forcibly dragged him into a white Nissan Hardbody double cab vehicle whose registration numbers were only captured as ABB 2 with the last three digits not visible. The registration plate of the Nissan Hardbody was partly folded,” she said.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said there were two other unknown black male adults in the vehicle who drove away with Dzamara and disappeared from the scene.

Anyone with information on Dzamara’s whereabouts should contact the Officer Commanding Police Law and Order Division, Assistant Commissioner Crispen Makedenge on (04) 251505, the division’s officer in charge Law and Order Harare Detective Chief Inspector Runganga on (04) 753411 or any nearest police station.

On Tuesday, Dzamara’s wife made a report to the police of his disappearance and on Thursday, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri challenged officers to intensify their investigations into the alleged disappearance of Dzamara.

He said the abduction was unfortunate and urged the police to be vigilant in their hunt for those responsible.

This came as rowdy MDC-T activists assaulted and injured two police officers on Wednesday, deployed to contain an illegal demonstration at Parliament over Dzamara.

The alleged disappearance dominated Parliament’s question time on Wednesday as MDC-T legislators demanded to know what Government was doing about it.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), said it was deeply concerned about the alleged abduction of Dzamara.

“As a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) the Commission’s primary function is to protect, promote and enforce human rights for the attainment of human dignity.

The disappearance of Mr Dzamara through the alleged abduction by “persons yet unknown” presents numerous human rights violations that include the right to personal liberty as enshrined in Section 49 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe which states that, “Every person has a right to personal liberty, which includes the right not to be deprived of their liberty arbitrarily or without just cause”.

An abduction is a violation of someone’s liberty.

“Furthermore, Section 51 of the Constitution guarantees the right to human dignity. It states that, “Every person has inherent dignity in their private and public life and the right to have that dignity respected and promoted.

“The Constitution also guarantees freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

“Section 53 states that, ‘No person may be subjected to physical or psychological torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’.”