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OpenSheffra Dzamara: "I Won’t Stop Until I Know Where My Husband Is"
Sheffra Dzamara, the wife of Itai Dzamara—a journalist and pro-democracy activist who was forcibly disappeared ten years ago—says she will never stop seeking answers until she knows the whereabouts of her husband.
Itai Dzamara was abducted on 9 March 2015 after publicly criticising the Zimbabwean government for its handling of the country’s worsening economic crisis. Since then, he has not been seen or heard from, and his fate remains unknown.
A decade later, Sheffra has opened up to Amnesty International, recounting the events of that tragic morning and the painful years that have followed, as she continues her relentless search for justice and closure. She wrote:
9 March 2015, the day Itai was abducted, was a normal day.
He went to the barbershop at 9am wearing black shorts and his Manchester United jersey. Looking back at that morning, there are so many things I wish I had said to him.
As I was preparing his breakfast for when he returned, my brother came running in, and told me that my husband was taken from the barbershop, by men driving a white Isuzu with no registration number.
When I heard this, fear engulfed me. I knew that it was an abduction. It was bad, I started shaking and crying.
I did not know what to do or who to call, but I wanted to hear the facts directly from the people who witnessed the abduction.
I took my daughter and put her on my back – she was two years old then – and went straight to the barbershop.
When I arrived, I was still shaking. Even the barber and his colleague were shaking too as they told me what happened.
It was very fast. Five men walked in and said they were looking for a cattle thief. While Itai was perplexed, the men grabbed him and said they were taking him to the police to be questioned. Itai has not been seen since then.
I walked back from the barber like a zombie. I felt the whole world falling down on me. My head was spinning. I was not myself; I was confused and did not know what to do. I was shattered. I wanted to scream and cry but when I looked at my daughter and son, I knew I had to control myself.
I got home and changed my clothes, not realizing that I was wearing my skirt inside out. That’s how confused I was.
I left my kids with my sister, and went with Itai’s brother Patson, and our lawyer to report the case to the police, who promised to investigate.
When I returned home around 6pm, I was afraid to go through the gate thinking maybe the abductors would come back and abduct us as well. I had to be strong for my kids.
I did not sleep that night. My heart was pounding so hard. At 4am, I left the house and went to the barbershop hoping, praying that maybe, they would have brought him back, but he was not there.
The next day, my kids and I were taken to an organization where we stayed for a month for our safety. I lost weight from fasting and praying for my husband to be released from his abductors. I could not eat or sleep. My heart was always beating fast. I would cry at night so that my kids didn’t t see me.
Since Itai’s enforced disappearance, life has never been the same for Sheffra. She is constantly reminded of him whenever she looks at their children, as both resemble their father. She said:
Life has not been the same since Itai was abducted. The last 10 years have been hard. I am reminded of him every time I look at my kids because both look like their dad.
It hurts not to have Itai in my life and to see my kids missing him and growing up without a father who loved them so dearly. I don’t have any answers, but I feel blessed to have my two kids. When I look at them l feel God’s grace.
The police never came back to give any update. As far as I know, they never even investigated the case. They were not interested in finding Itai.
Even the Zimbabwe High Court order could not get the police find my husband or tell us what happened to him.
As a family we did everything to get answers. For the past 10 years the government of Zimbabwe has ignored my requests and turned a blind eye to the demand for answers by everyone including friends, activists, civil society organizations, media and the international community.
I wish for Itai to one day walk through the front door and hug me and the kids or to wake up to find that this was all a bad dream. If I must live without him, then I need answers, I need to know where he is.
More: Amnesty International
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