Mugabe must find Dzamara, says EU Parly

The European Parliament has backed a motion by Zimbabwean High Court judge Justice David Mangota calling for Zimbabwean human rights activist Itai Dzarana to be found immediately.

Although the resolution repeated language previously adopted by the EU bloc, it could stoke tensions with Zimbabwe, which insists it is already doing everything in its power to find him.

Dzamara, 35, a maverick journalist leading the pro-democracy pressure group "Occupy Africa Unity Square" movement demanding that President Robert Mugabe resigns, was kidnapped by five armed men from a barber shop in a working class suburb of Harare over 60 days ago and shoved into an unmarked truck near his home in the capital, according to his barber.

He has not ben seen since.

"MEPs (Members of the European Parliamant) strongly condemn the forced disappearance of human rights defender Itai Dzamara and urge the government of Zimbabwe to comply fully with the High Court order directing it to search for him and thus take all necessary measures to find him," the bloc said in a statement.

"They express concerns at the reports by human rights organisations of increasing political violence and other human rights abuses and call for concerted action by the international community."

The resolution by the 28-nation EU deplored the absence of a strong and enforceable human rights clause in the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and called on the EU delegation in Harare "to continue to offer its assistance to Zimbabwe in order to improve the human rights situation".

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights successfully filed a harbeas corpus application at the High Court, with Justice Mangota ordering  Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi, police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri, Central Intelligence Organisation director-general Happyton Bonyongwe and the State Security minister — listed as respondents in the application alleging State security agents had masterminded the abduction of Dzamara — find him.

All the respondents denied knowledge of Dzamara's whereabouts during the hearing, but were ordered by the court "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 (State-run) Herald and the Chronicle newspapers."

The High Court judge also directed that a team of police detectives be deployed to work closely with Dzamara's legal practitioners to search for him "at all such places as may be within their jurisdiction in terms of the law and report progress of such search to the Registrar of the High Court by 1600 hours every Friday fortnightly until his whereabouts have been determined."

Police have also issued a statement saying they had opened investigations.

"The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing for information on the whereabouts of Itai Peace Kadiki Dzamara aged 35 years," the police statement said.

"Anyone with information, please contact Officer Commanding Police (Law and Order Division), Assistant Commissioner Makedenge on (04) 251505 or the Officer in Charge CID (Criminal Investigations Department) Law and Order Harare."

Describing the abduction as "barbaric", Zimbabwe Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa told Parliament last month he could not admit that Dzamara was arrested or is in their custody, raising grave concerns for his safety.

He said the police  were searching for him.

Responding to a question by Stephen Sackur on BBC's HARDtalk on Monday about the abduction, Information minister Jonathan Moyo claimed there was nothing unusual about Dzamara's disappearance, suggesting that even in the UK, people disappear without a trace.

The United States and European Union have called for his immediate release, and implored authorities to immediately investigate the disappearance.

The US Embassy in Harare said "if he is being held in State custody, it is vital that his fundamental human rights and freedoms as guaranteed by Zimbabwe's Constitution be honoured," while the EU Delegation here said the government should "take all necessary measures to ascertain Mr Dzamara's whereabouts, safeguard his wellbeing and accord him the full protection of the law."