Sikhala denied bail again- son says ‘not easy to see father being persecuted’
Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Vice Chairman Job Sikhala’s latest bail application on changed circumstances has been dismissed by Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje.
The outspoken legislator was remanded to September 13 for trial.
“I had to meet prior arrangements, The application for bail is hereby dismissed and the applicant shall be in custody pending trial,” Mambanje ruled.
Addressing journalists outside the court, one of Sikhala’s sons said: “it’s not easy to see him being persecuted like this over this.”
Sikhala was arrested on 14 June this year together with another CCC MP Godfrey Sithole and 14 other party activists.
They were accused of inciting public violence at the funeral wake of murdered CCC activist Moreblessing Ali. But the Zengeza West legislator was slapped with another charge of obstructing the course of justice. This is the latest case he has been denied freedom over.
Sikhala has since engaged a leading international law firm, Amsterdam & Partners based in the United Kingdom and the United States to represent him.
Sikhala, who has spent close to three months in jail, wrote a letter to Zimbabwean churches and their leaders saying that they were living like rats in prison and questioned when the Church would rebuke such evil practices by rulers.
