Suspected CIO Surveillance Instills Fear in 'Abducted' Dzamara's Colleagues
Dzamara’s close associates and the National Youth Action Alliance told Studio 7 some of them had to spend the Easter holiday away from their homes.
HARARE — Some members of missing Itai Dzamara, leader of Occupy Africa Unity Square, pressing 91-year old President Robert Mugabe to step down, say they are now living in fear as they are being allegedly followed by people suspected to be members of Zimbabwe’s national spy network, the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO). These fears come at a time when President Mugabe is on an official visit to South Africa where protestors are demanding that he should find Dzamara. Dzamara’s close associates and the National Youth Action Alliance told Studio 7 that the harassment allegedly intensified during the Easter weekend and some of them had to spend the holiday away from their homes. Stephen Sibanda of the Mavambo Kusile Dawn party, who worked closely with Dzamara, said some unidentified people have been visiting his home since last Thursday and he is now fearing for his life. Sibanda said the people driving a vehicle with an incomplete registration number P9229, sometimes spend the whole night in the car parked outside his home. He, however, said this won’t deter him from the fight to free Dzamara and force President Robert Mugabe to step down. They accuse Mr. Mugabe of running down the economy and human rights violations. Another activist, Lloyd Masarirambi, who claimed that he survived an assassination attempt in the city centre last Wednesday, said he spent the Easter holiday away from home following a tip off from friends that some unknown people were waiting for him at his home. The activists who have since made a report to their lawyers said they were reluctant to approach the police as they have been previously harassed by the law enforcing agents. Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba was not available for comment. Occupy Africa Unity Square deputy chairman and acting spokesman, Dirk Fray, said harassment of activists will not detract them from their cause. Fray said the group is worried that despite the police promise to find Dzamara they have not come up with anything credible about his whereabouts. Meanwhile, Dzamara’s lawyers led by Charles Kwaramba of Mbizvo, Muchadehama and Makoni legal practitioners have filed a contempt of court application against the police and CIO for failing to comply with an earlier order for them to report progress on his search fortnightly to the Registrar of the High Court until his whereabouts have been established. Dzamara was allegedly abducted by state security agents early last month, who were travelling in a white Isuzu twin cab vehicle with a blurred registrations number plate in Harare’s Glen View 7 suburb.