MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday dismissed State media reports and claims by some Zanu PF activists that his party had “hidden” missing journalist and human rights activist Itai Dzamara to cause anarchy and incite riots against the Zanu PF government.
By Everson Mushava
Addressing journalists following a visit to Dzamara’s home in Glen View, Harare, Tsvangirai maintained that State security agents were behind Dzamara’s abduction two weeks ago and demanded his immediate release.
“Why would we abduct him, to achieve what? It is not possible. It is a mockery to the MDC,” Tsvangirai said. “As a party, we are grieving and eager to know his whereabouts. What is at stake here is human life and we should not play games. How is it possible that when someone is a victim, he is called a perpetrator?”
Dzamara was reportedly abducted in the high-density suburb by five unidentified men believed to be State security agents and driven away in an Isuzu truck. Since then, his whereabouts have remained a mystery with opposition parties and human rights groups ratcheting up pressure on government to produce him.
But several Zanu PF officials including Information minister Jonathan Moyo have accused the MDC-T of “hiding” Dzamara to incite the public to rise against government.
Tsvangirai yesterday insisted the State was behind Dzamara’s abduction.
“The nation and everyone is distressed over the whereabouts of Dzamara. As I said earlier on, the State should be held responsible until such a time they can prove their innocence. Let us hope that nothing happens to him. We place everything in God.”
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Tsvangirai, who was in the United States over the past week, said: “I have come to show solidarity with the family. It is a tough situation to be away from home and the family does not know your whereabouts. I experienced the same situation when I was abducted.”
The opposition leader was abducted and arrested several times by State security agents following the formation of the MDC and when he was secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
He said Dzamara’s abductors stormed the shop where he was having a haircut, identified themselves as police and accused him of stocktheft before they handcuffed him and bundled him into their car.
Tsvangirai said it was ironic that the State was claiming that his party was involved in Dzamara’s appearance when the people who arrested him identified themselves as police.
