Efforts to contact Wilf Mbanga to verify Dzamara’s story or to ascertain if he was ever approached have so far been unsuccessful. The Zimbabwean was shut down in October last year.
As proof that people were after him, Dzamara sent an email to FAIR allegedly written to Mbanga by a purported army official named James Shoko. The email was also dated 8 May 2008, the same day Dzamara wrote to FAIR.
“For Mr W Mbanga
“I support your newspaper and all the good you are doing for our country and because of that I found it hard not to tell you this. A group of CIO members, military intelligence and police officers has been set up for the purpose of doing surveillance on your journalists (Name), Itai Dzamara, (Name), (Name) and (Name), according to the list they have under the title "The culprits at The Zimbabwean"
“There are stars on (Name) and Dzamara's names and at the bottom it is indicated that these two are the most wanted.
“One of my juniors here at KG6 is in the group and has told me that they have been ordered to kill the two most wanted if they find them or maim them. Some information has been gathered about them and (Name)'s home is known. They say Dzamara recently changed from where he was staying after some of the members in the group had visited there.
“My advise is that (Name) must imediately change where he is staying and they must all be very carefull.
“The group has made all the dirty tricks including getting MDC t shirts and posters and letters written on MDC letter head which they will leave after attacking your reporters so that it will appear like the work of mdc.
“I am willing to continue informing you in order to help precent this on yur good journalist.
James Shoko
KG6”
The letter was emailed by [email protected].
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