Job Sikhala charged with rape, theft

By Innocent Ruwende

HARARE- Former St Mary’s legislator and MDC 99 leader Job Sikhala allegedly raped his personal assistant several times and impregnated her. He also stands accused of stealing from the woman, who later suffered a miscarriage.

Sikhala (40) was yesterday brought to court facing rape and theft charges. He was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Don Ndirowei. He was granted US$100 bail. The court ordered Sikhala to report once every Monday at Harare Central Police Station and not to interfere with State witnesses.

Prosecutor Ms Elaine Mokora alleges that sometime in June last year Sikhala went to South Africa to source financial backing for his party and his fundraiser Okkie Volschenk offered him a place to stay in Durban. The complainant stayed at the same place.

After being introduced to the complainant, Sikhala offered her a job as his personal assistant after telling her that he owned a shopping centre in Zimbabwe. He allegedly offered her a US$400 monthly salary and 20 percent of all funds raised for his party adding that he would organise a work permit for her.

On June 23 last year, Volschenk, Aaron Muzungu and Sikhala left South Africa for Zimbabwe and allegedly helped the complainant evade immigration officials and enter Zimbabwe. The two women and Sikhala proceeded to his St Mary’s home and stayed there.

Sometime in July the same year Sikhala asked the complainant to go out for a drink where they would discuss business. It is alleged that at the sports bar, the woman had one drink while Sikhala had several and left the bar at around 11pm.

While seated in the car, it is alleged, Sikhala put his hand on the woman’s leg and told her he had never slept with a white woman and wondered what it was like and went on to say explicit words. Sikhala, the court heard, fondled the woman’s breasts while his other hand was inside her skirt.

The woman pushed him away.

The following day the complainant called Muzungu and told him what had transpired the previous night. She further told him she was now scared of Sikhala.

It is the State’s case that after a week, Sikhala ordered the woman to accompany him to a purported business meeting and along the way, he drove to a city lodge and led the woman into a room where he stripped naked. He instructed the woman to follow suit reminding her that she was an illegal immigrant.

She sat next to Sikhala and told him she did not like what he was doing but Sikhala was undeterred as he undressed her before raping her. On the second occasion, it is alleged Sikhala raped the woman at the same lodge and gave her US$5 after the act.

It is further alleged that on several occasions especially on Sundays, Sikhala would rape the woman when his two wives and children would have gone to church. The woman, the court heard, fell pregnant and later miscarried.

The State says Sikhala, well knowing that the woman did not have money and a passport, ordered her to leave his house if she was not interested in sleeping with him.

He even told her to report the abuse to the police but warned her that they would lock her up since she did not have a permit and as a prominent political figure, the police would take his side, it is alleged.

On December 20, it is alleged the woman fled Sikhala’s house and sought refuge at a friend’s place. The complainant was later arrested under the Immigration Act and was taken into custody while serving her jail term at prison, she reported the case.

During investigations police saw a suitcase with the complainant’s clothes but on March 15 when they went to the house the suitcase was missing. Sikhala’s wives denied that the complainant ever stayed at their house. The stolen clothes and suitcase were valued at 22 000 Rand.

Sikhala meanwhile has alleged a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) plot to charge him with the rape. Sikhala, was acquitted a few weeks ago on allegations of facilitating the illegal entry into Zimbabwe by the South African woman.

Two weeks ago detectives raided his St Mary’s home and conducted a search in his absence. A party statement issued later said Sikhala had since learnt that police wanted to charge him with raping the woman.

“The charges of rape being levelled against president Job Sikhala have no substance considering the fact that the woman, swore in court that even though they shared the same room on one occasion, they did not engage in sex,” his spokesperson said.

“The ‘alien’ who by now should have been deported back to South Africa five months ago, is now being used by the CIO in circumstances reminiscent of the Ari Ben Menashe sting against Morgan Tsvangirai to achieve political ends.”