#mkomanawamamoyo

State sponsored abductions are when the state through its security agents gets involved ,in abducting its own citizens. Zimbabwe has become very well known for the government dealing with perceived enemies through abductions and subsequent murders. This has been happening over a long period and the citizens have been complacent in playing a part by keeping quiet.

As early as the 90s the Zimbabwean government started the abductions and they would just be another story on the news and eventually die a natural death. Under the ZANU PF government more than 7 abductions have been so far recorded with 1 involving a prominent Human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who was eventually found still alive.

The likes of Patrick Nambayama where not so lucky as they eventually just died .Same with the likes of Itai Dzamara whom at this time citizens got up together and said enough is enough and up to this time nothing has yet been discovered as to his whereabouts if his still alive or dead at all.

In Zimbabwe, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and members of the opposition political parties have often become victims of state sponsored abductions, a tactic that is often used to silence opposition and criticism. According to the United Nations, in 2019 alone 49 cases of abductions and torture were reported in Zimbabwe, without investigations leading to perpetrators being held to account.

In 2020, this disturbing trend continued, and it was reported that three female opposition activists Joanna Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marowa had been forcibly abducted in Harare, assaulted and dumped 48 hours after their abduction. Following their enforced disappearance, the trio was arrested and persecuted for speaking out about their experience amidst accusations of lying about their ordeal. Equally disturbing was the abduction of a second-year media student Tawanda Mucheihwa who was abducted in Bulawayo on 30 July 2020, a day before planned demonstrations which had been called by what is now known as the July 31 Movement. Despite evidence pointing to the involvement of a local popular car hire company, no meaningful investigations have been carried out and no arrests have been made.

Again the government plays a key role in this as upon his abduction, Itai is said to have been taken by state security agents and the car used together with its registration plate is i the public domain, and yet the government has refused to investigate. Lawyers went to court to compel the Zimbabwe Republic Police to do a fortnightly period investigations progress report to the family, but nothing ever happened and thy still continued to undermine a court order. Today Moreblessing who was abducted has been found the remains assumed to be of her, another prominent opposition activist whose disappeared for the past 15 days and now has been found dead, body dumped in a well.

The state is supposed to be the protector of its citizens ,but with the Zimbabwean government the general populace is now afraid of the Zanu PF led government as a hen perking on its young ones. Who do the POVO cry to or go to for help if the state is the perpetrator of state sponsored abductions ? Who will police the government ? Who will save us from this monster of a government we have ?

Its high time now that the people come together and stand as one, enough is enough, for how long shall we allow the state to pick on us one by one? Till when will we cower behind our fear ,behind our intellectual reasoning ? Arise and stand up as a people, We have the numbers, We are the People .