adminThe comments come after recent Press reports suggested Mr Chizuze was kidnapped for his role in the Gukurahundi findings, which was conducted by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in the 1980s.
Mr Chizuze went missing on 8 February.
Over the last 30 years, Mr Chizuze has been either employed by, or active with the Legal Resources Foundation, Amani Trust Matabeleland, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, ZimRights, Churches in Bulawayo, CivNet, and Masakhaneni Trust.
He was last seen driving his car, a Nissan Hardbody to his home in Bellevue, after visiting his brother in Emganwini.
In an interview yesterday, a relative, Sister Maxima Phiri, said the family was optimistic that police would find Mr Chizuze.
“There is definitely no politics involved here. In fact we have strong evidence to suggest otherwise, which is in the possession of police investigating the case. We are still hopeful that police will find him. We appeal for assistance from members of the public who may know his whereabouts,” said Sister Phiri.
She appealed to individuals and the private Press to stop politicising the matter, saying it was disrupting investigations.
Sister Phiri said her family was deeply disturbed by sections of the media who alleged they had interviewed family members on the matter.
“No one has spoken to the family. I am the only family spokesperson. Some have even named people we do not know, claiming they are family representatives, while others have gone as far as to pretend to have talked to actual family members, when in actual fact, they did not,” she said.
Ten organisations led by the Christian Group Churches in Bulawayo and the Solidarity Peace Trust issued an appeal on Tuesday saying they feared Mr Chizuze might have been “murdered, hijacked or abducted”.
Even the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart seemed to subscribe to the notion that Mr Chizuze was a political victim.
He wrote on the social microblogging site Twitter: “I am very distressed about the disappearance of a good friend and colleague.”
Human rights activists have been using Mr Chizuze’s disappearance to paint a false impression of human rights abuse in the country.
Contacted for comment yesterday, the police spokesperson for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo, said police were still searching for Mr Chizuze.
“We are still looking for Mr Chizuze. We appeal to members of the public who may have information that might lead to his location to contact their nearest police station,” said Insp Moyo.
He said those with information could use the police suggestion boxes if they did not wish to be known or call the Bulawayo police 24-hour hotline number (09) 885479.
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