Missing Itai Dzamara’s brother, Patson has explained what happened before and after he was arrested.
“The regime solicited the help of two vagabonds whom they used to set us up for arrest. These two women walked past our protest base in Africa Unity Square just before midnight on the 8th of June and they asked us for directions to Epworth taxi rank. We gave them the directions and they started walking away before stopping again to request for one of us to escort them. One of our colleagues rose up with the intention of escorting them but I instructed him not to because I had already sensed that those vagrants were up to no good.
They then proceeded to walk for about 70 meters from our protest base before turning and running back towards us. Just before getting to where we were, they
began to shout, “thief, thief, thief”. Upon reaching us, one of them dropped her bag near us.
Meanwhile, three police officers with whom we had had a chat an hour and half prior to this incidence emerged from nowhere.
In no time, Makomborero Haruzivishe and myself were handcuffed before being assaulted and frog marched to central police station.
We were immediately locked up. About two hours later, three of our colleagues, Pride Mukono, Tatenda Mombeyarara and Oliver chikumba were also locked up.
As soon as we arrived at Harare Central Police Station after the morbid and barbaric arrest no statements were taken from Makomborero Haruzivishe and myself. In fact, the police officers immediately locked us up and they continued torturing us.
Two hours later, around 3am, three of our colleagues, Oliver Chikumba, Tatenda Mombeyarara and Pride Mkono were also arrested and locked up. Our lawyer, Obey Shava came through to the police station around 9am. We exchanged notes with him before returning to the cells. We were to appear in court the following day, the 10th of June at 11am.