Chirape, a victim of violence in the hands of state security agents and the Zanu (PF) militia, lived as a refugee in Johannesburg, after he was hounded into exile by President Robert Mugabe’s supporters.
He went missing last month, after sending his friends and fellow activists a vague email that could pass for a suicide note, but did not really point to that kind of action.
“Comrades, I salute you. The journey of life is never a stroll in the garden. As you are aware, the struggle to accomplish what we aspire for is sometimes punctuated by challenges, which gives us the reason to continue fighting. Sometimes we fail in our endeavours not because it is our desire,” wrote Chirape in the email.
“In my own humble way I have tried to remain true to the spirit of ubuntu (humanity). In a way it has given me purpose to stay the course. Our collective resolve to liberate ourselves from the chains of economic and political deprivation created a bond which no man can unshackle. That spirit must live on even when one of us succumbs to these challenges”.
“I have cherished and treasured the love I received from my comrades. I have also acknowledged that the constraints of emancipation sometimes lead to disappointment. To those that I have wronged, I want to say I am truly sorry.” With no trace of him so far, his relatives and fellow activists are still scouring every possible place in a desperate endeavour to find him – hopefully alive.
Kumbirai Muchemwa, MDC spokesman for South Africa, confirmed that the party was still trying to find him. On the suspicions raised by fellow activists that he had been kidnapped Muchemwa would not say much. “I can only say that so far, we have found no tangible evidence that he could have been taken by the enemy.”
Post published in: News