HARARE – Job Sikhala, the vice chairman of the Nelson Chamisa led Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC-Alliance) has been arrested.
He was reportedly arrested at the Harare Magistrate Court where he was part of the legal team representing Hopewell Chin’ono.
He is being represented by Jeremiah Bhamu according to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human rights.
Lawyer speaks on @JobSikhala1 pic.twitter.com/DNsJ5jaYyB
— Heart and Soul TV Radio (@HStvZim) January 9, 2021
Sikhala was last arrested in August 2020 while he was hiding in a ceiling at a house in Tynwald suburb.
On Thursday he released the information via his Twitter page.
Said Sikhala, “I have received information that the Mnangagwa regime wants to arrest me today for the offence which I don’t know. They are alleging that I undermined the authority of the police by Twitting about the kid allegedly assaulted by them. I have alerted everyone.”
Sikhala is one of more than a dozen anti-government activists who went into hiding after police issued an alert seeking information leading to their arrest ahead of anti-government protests planned for July 31.
His party and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said he was charged with inciting public violence for allegedly backing the protest.
His arrest came as another opposition politician and government critic, Jacob Ngarivhume, was denied bail for the third time since being detained for calling the protests.
The demonstrations were de-facto banned because of Zimbabwe’s anti-coronavirus measures.
More to follow
