11 Years On, Lawyers Demand Answers Over Dzamara’s Whereabouts

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, a not-for-profit human rights group, has called on the government to step up efforts to find out what happened to freelance journalist and pro-democracy activist Itai Dzamara.

In a statement marking 11 years since Dzamara’s enforced disappearance, ZLHR said it remained deeply concerned about his whereabouts and well-being. The statement reads:

“Today marks 11 years since the enforced disappearance of freelance journalist and activist, Itai Dzamara.

“Dzamara was abducted and disappeared on 9 March 2015 and has not been heard from since.

“ZLHR remains deeply concerned about Dzamara’s whereabouts and well-being.

“Zimbabwean authorities must make more efforts to establish what happened to Dzamara and offer some answers to his family, which continues with the relentless quest for the truth and have been left to worry for the past 11 years without his whereabouts being ascertained.”

Dzamara led the Occupy Africa Unity Square movement, which called for the resignation of then-President Robert Mugabe.

On the morning of 9 March 2015, Dzamara was at a barbershop in the Glen View suburb of Harare.

According to witnesses, five unidentified men entered the shop, accusing him of stealing cattle. They handcuffed him and forced him into a white pickup truck, often described as an Isuzu, with blurred or concealed license plates. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Following his disappearance, his wife, Sheffra Dzamara, and human rights lawyers took immediate action. Shortly afterwards, the High Court of Zimbabwe ordered state security agents to search for him and provide weekly updates on the investigation.

While the police initially submitted some reports, legal representatives and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, say the authorities eventually stopped complying with the court order.

Despite international pressure from the US, EU, and various human rights organisations, no one has ever been charged or held accountable for Dzamara’s disappearance.

Dzamara’s family continues to seek answers. Tragically, his brother Patson Dzamara, who became a vocal activist in the search for Itai, passed away from colon cancer in 2020 without ever learning the truth.

Dzamara’s name has become a rallying cry for activists in Zimbabwe, symbolising the risks faced by those who speak out against the government.