Ten years after the mysterious disappearance of human rights activist-cum-journalist Itai Dzamara, his wife is still searching for answers.
Dzamara disappeared on March 9, 2015, after openly criticizing the Zimbabwean government, then led by President Robert Mugabe, over the country's worsening economic conditions.
A decade later, there has been no trace of him, and his fate remains unknown.
Dzamara's wife Sheffra told human rights watchdog Amnesty International Zimbabwe that she longs for his return, emphasising the past 10 years have been painful without closure to the matter.
"I will not stop asking until I know the fate and whereabouts of my husband," Sheffra said.
"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.
"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 do not have any answers, but I feel blessed to have my two kids. When I look at them l feel God's grace," she said.
Sheffra also said the police never investigated Dzamara's disappearance or provided any updates, ignoring even a High Court of Zimbabwe order to take action.
She also accused the government of ignoring the family's requests for answers, dismissing demands from friends, activists, and the international community.
"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 High Court of Zimbabwe order could not get the police to 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 organisations, media and the international community."
