South Africa proposes buying US LNG as seeks trade deal
Zimbabwe MP denied bail over incitement charge
7:26 CAT | 30 Aug 2022
Image: Twitter / @daddyhope
A Zimbabwean opposition MP facing an incitement-to-violence charge has been denied bail and will remain in jail until his trial in November, a magistrate’s court in the capital, Harare, has ruled.
Job Sikhala was arrested in June after violence broke out between ruling party and opposition supporters at a funeral wake near Chitungwiza area on the capital’s outskirts.
More than a dozen opposition members were arrested and remain behind bars.
Mr Sikhala has been repeatedly denied bail in both the magistrate’s and high courts, which ruled that he was likely to reoffend as he faces similar unrelated charges, although he has not been convicted on any of those charges. He denies that he incited violence.
He also faces obstruction of justice charges.
His lawyers had applied for bail citing changed conditions.
In a tweet, lawyer and Citizen’s Coalition for Change party spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said bail was a constitutional right adding “this persecution must stop”.
A prominent Zimbabwean journalist has also tweeted a letter that Mr Sikhala had allegedly written saying they were “living like rats” in prison and pleading to religious leaders to “rebuke the suffering of the weak”.
South Africa’s @SABCNews has released a letter written by Zimbabwean political prisoner @JobSikhala1 to Zimbabwe’s clergy.
He said they were living like rats in prison & asked when the Church will rebuke the people’s suffering, especially the weak.
His bail ruling is at 2.15pm pic.twitter.com/gGYSCvnvGQ
— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) August 30, 2022
Opposition Member of Parliament @JobSikhala1 has been denied bail for the 5th time.
The opposition MP and leader has become a political prisoner, and has been in prison for over 2 months on bogus Incitement charges.
Sikhala who is also a lawyer now has to go to the High Court. pic.twitter.com/iyvwtbjxtQ
— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) August 30, 2022
Source: BBC
Show comments
Also read
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.