Chamisa Says The State Is Abusing And Weaponizing The Law In Job Sikhala's Case

Nelson Chamisa who leads the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has said the state was abusing and weaponising the law by denying bail to Job Sikhala, the Zengeza West Member of Parliament.

Chamisa, a former minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services during the Government of National Unity (GNU) made the remarks on Tuesday after Magistrate Sternford Mambanje had denied Sikhala bail. Chamisa said:

I’ve just been here at the Magistrates Court since 2 pm for the #FreeWiwa bail ruling. Bail denied again. This is pure abuse & weaponizing of the law. The #Nyatsime16 detention is oppressive and despotic. The Zimbabwean supreme law makes bail a constitutional right.

In court, prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti who was representing the state said Sikhala’s continued detention was justifiable considering the seriousness of the offence he is facing. He added:

There is nothing political about this prosecution and we deny such allegations by the accused.

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Sikhala and 13 other members of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) were arrested in June over the 14 June violence that erupted in Nyatsime during the funeral wake of slain Moreblessing Ali, a CCC activist.

Sikhala has been at Chikurubi Maximum Prison since then as courts have continuously denied him bail.

CCC says charges against its members were trumped up and also accuses the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) of being biased towards the ruling party saying members of the ruling party are not being arrested even when they commit violence in broad daylight.

Pindula News