Harare, August 26 — Patson Dzamara, a human rights activist in Zimbabwe, who was also brother to the country’s missing journalist-cum political activist, Itai Dzamara, died this Wednesday morning following a battle with colon cancer.
He was 34 and leaves behind a six-year-old daughter and a fiancée, according to his brother, Paddy Dzamara.
He (Dzamara) was scheduled to be operated by doctors following a successful fundraising by well-wishers who had up to the time of his death raised half of the required 28,000 USD.
Dzamara on numerous occasions had a brush with law enforcement agents here and was at one time abducted and severely beaten for his anti-government activism since the times of former late President Robert Mugabe.
But, taking to Twitter, other Zimbabweans like Edith Prisca have taken Dzamara’s cause of death with a pinch of salt.
“Is it me or there is a pattern to this madness? Detention by Zanu PF government, then colon cancer,” said Prisca.
Nigel Chanakira, a Zimbabwean business mogul and founder of the now-defunct Kingdom Bank, said ‘it is with profound sadness to advise you that Dr. Patson Dzamara has passed on this morning ahead of his scheduled cancer operation. Thanks to all those that had been contributing to the Fund where US$14k had already been raised. I am personally devasted.’
Dzamara’s brother, Paddy Dzamara, said ‘we are shocked and devastated as a family. We thank God for his life; we thank everyone who are standing with us and supporting us during this sad moment.’
Taking to Twitter, Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa said “I’m devastated. Just received bad news from the Dzamaras. The young Dr. Patson Dzamara gone too soon. This has been a terrible 2020!”
Itai, brother to the now late Dzamara went missing in March 2015 after suspected state security agents abducted him as he was having a haircut in the vicinity of his Harare home.
Since then, his whereabouts have remained a mystery.