A petition demanding the unconditional release of jailed opposition MPs Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole and 14 residents of Nyatsime has now been signed by more than 50 000 Zimbabweans.
The intention of the organisers is to submit it to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in order to pressure him to act and ensure his critics are free.
The two MPs and 14 activists have spent more than 100 days incarcerated at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison over what their party the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) describes as trumped up charges of inciting public violence at the funeral wake of murdered CCC activist Moreblessing Ali.
They were denied bail by the courts more than four times with magistrates and judges claiming that they had a propensity of committing similar crimes. This is despite the fact that they have never been convicted before.
Prominent Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembwa and scholars, Ibbo Mandaza, Tony Reeler, Philani Zamchiya, politician Simba Makoni among other prominent activists created an online petition demanding the release of Sikhala and his colleagues.
“We petition Your Excellency to bring to your consideration, a most unusual situation resulting in the arrest and detention of MPs Honourable Job Sikhala and Honourable Godfrey Sithole, and 14 residents of Nyatsime, Chitungwiza following the violence of 14 June 2022 in Nyatsime.
“Our duty to Zimbabwe constrains us from maintaining silence,” read part of the statement accompanying the petition.
“The multiple denials of bail these two have endured, multiple times in the Magistrates Court and multiple times in the High Court, makes for an unusual and unprecedented situation.
“We cannot think of any prosecution in recent times where one has been denied bail for such numerous times, for offences of inciting public violence and obstruction of justice, which Honourable Sikhala is charged with, and inciting public violence, which Honourable Godfrey Sithole is charged with.
“MPs Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole have now spent 85 days in pre-trial incarceration at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
“When this is juxtaposed to the timely and little-resisted granting of bail to high profile politically exposed persons accused of serious corruption, and they being flight risks, questions about the equal treatment of persons before the courts arise.
“There appear to be targeted differential treatment of those arrested and detained for charges emanating from political circumstances.”
During the time of writing, 50 400 people had signed the petition, making it one of the most signed applications in the history of Zimbabwe.
Tangai masvitsa 500 000 plus a destructive leader who incites violence which lead to burning and destroying of properties must stay where criminals stay He is a constituent father who should ddescourage violence at any level He is everybody’s leader not because the office is one in theconstituent meaning he is our mp who should be examplary We want a peaceful country.
Godfrey Mutandwa absolute rubbish.
Godfrey Mutandwa ur uttering hogwash
Godfrey Mutandwa asi mbavha nemhondi kwauri varibhoo. Makororo akatokunakira iwe. Is that so
Godfrey Mutandwa bull crap
Godfrey Mutandwa ur a lunatic. Ur Under the influence of a highly intoxicating substance or an illicit brew. Did he call for violence or he demanded justice and arrest of the killer of Ali?. Ur a such an idiot who thinks that capturing judiciary will makes an opposition suffer.Im counted aswell on that petition u asshole and here is the proof
Godfrey mutandwa one day is one day God is watching u zanu pf property nonsense
Godfrey Mutandwa Mhofu this is beyond stupid ndimi mukuuraya hama imi I so disappointed in you. Why is that guy who said chamisa must be killed and his family not arrested
Godfrey Mutandwa nonsense
Godfrey Mutandwa unopenga iwe, Koo building yake Job Sikhala yakapwanywa nemhepo here ?
M Elias kkkkkkk hasha kana kutuka kupa point yako pane zvataura munhu zvitori beyond hama. Endai kumacourts uko munonzwa nyaya idzi Sikhala paakataura mazwi ake dzimba dzakatsva mota dzikapwanywa namashops munhu wawareva akataura zvaakataura pane akarohwa here pane akakuvara here pane zvakaitika here nhai hama saka zivai kuti mhosva dzatosiyana ipapo tukai zvenyu but Sikhala is in Chikurubi becoz He incited violence which leads to destruction of property and breached bail condition yemhosva yekumashure uko hama and that alone imhosva iyoyo hama if i breach bail condition unovharirwa saka Job cant get bail for recent crime iye akabreacha bail sandiye ega ari kuChikurubi and nothing special vanhu vari violent hatidi munyika vanoita violent vosungwa mochemera kuti vabuditswe apo zvavanoitira violent kuti vawane nenedzo yezvirango ngaagaremo nyango tuka but the bottom line sikhala atorara na3. 30pm
Innocent Kunyangura city council demolition yakaitwa kuChitungwiza hama siya nhema dzako akavaka pasingabvumidzwe ikoko cortuption and land baron yakaitika paya.
Godfrey Mutandwa saka akakuudza kuti Job Sikhala akapisa dzimba ndiani ?. Hindawa muchida kushungurudza nekuuraya vana vevamwe imi. Hindawa muchida kurarama neropa revanhu . Ivai vanhu mhani. You abducted another activist of CCC in Nyatsime now , for what reason are you doing this ?
Melody Shoko dzamunoti mbavha idzi malawyer avo vatungamiriri venyu vanogona kukumbirira mbavha bail richibuda hama plus a thief is better than munhu anoputsisira vanhu pekugara destruction and inferno kupwanya nekupisa that person is very dangerous hama munhu iyeye must rot in prison worse ari baba venharaunda chakamutadzisa kudzivirira noise chii sezvo ari mp wedu tose
Godfrey Mutandwa when your stupidity is regarded as patriotism. You are a nonsense
Kwana iwe
Stop street politics and demands follow constitution Incitement of violence is a crime, Breaching bail conditions is a crime hapana asingazivi izvi hama Your lawyers in court must follow law guidelines and stop to be activists thats all Stop using crime to gain political mileage NO.
Godfrey Mutandwa hauna nyaya . Kooo Vice president zvaakati maCCC ngaatswanywe seinda and after that vanhu varikunyangarika vachizooneka vafa , vakasungwa naani anditi ndivo vanofanira kuchengeta vanhu vose despite political views, Koo pamunoti pasi nemhandu munenge muchirevei sevakuru venyika. Kwana iwe
Godfrey Mutandwa kwana iwe
Yaa tichiine ma stupid evanhu munyika unotoshaya kuti pfungwa dzirimo here kana kuti dzakabuda kare 🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧 maximum
Godfrey Mutandwa violence yaunoziva ndeip. Kwana
What does the word intend mean nhai iwe. Ko ku Gokwe kabuyuni kwakasungwa ani nhai.uko kwakarohwa vanhu vamwe vachipiswa ne moto.
Godfrey Mutandwa zvaunodyara unozvikohwa. I will not be speaking to you again. You must be left alone after all freedom.of speech and expression ndeyenyu imimi chete ka
Godfrey Mutandwa so urikuti kudiii iweweý
Murume mukuru kutoshinga kunyorara nonsense
Kuda Magreen imhata yemunhu
Zvozodii kana number ikakura haaa ZANU so
Eyaaa pertition for what kupa rukudzo kuma dunderheads
Mandipa Suwo taura zvako
I want sign too
Nyaya ya Sikhala yakafanana neya Edson Sithole. If u go back to Zim history there was once a young man named Edson Sithole. He was exactly like Job Sikhala. Was standing for people’s rights, but he died anyway. If nothing is done like now. Job and the other comrades life’s r in danger
Gift Mashonganyika Edson wacho akakuza vanhu kuti vapwanye nekupisa here dzimba dzevanhu
Godfrey Mutandwa you are useless, wasted effort
Gift Mashonganyika haamirire vanhu uyu haumuzive. Go to s’t marys kwaanogara uko ano zivikanwa kusvira vakadzi vevanhu, ngavamumire ivavo
Godfrey Mutandwa Edson naturally was just a human rights person. He was a politician, but u know those kind of politicians who r innocent, trying to do good for society
Gift Mashonganyika job is a violent destructive politician who need political mileage
Leerock Chisale yekurara ne vakadzi vevanhu handizive. Asi rangarira kuti pakapiswa dzimba dzevanhu chii chakanga chaiitika. Pakanga papondwa murandakadzi. Saka it was fire for fire. As we speak right now, hapana justice, even kubatwa kwevakauraya vacho hapana. Moda tisvike riini Zimbabwe mhondi dzisingasungwe kana kuvharirwa mumajeri
Gift Mashonganyika that was not politics yavaiedza ku politisizer zvinhu. It was jus munhu akauraya girlfriend. Akatosungwa kare munhu uyo
Leerock Chisale gentlemen, let’s not lose focus because of political affiliates. We have to focus on the well being of Zimbabweans at large. Facts are like stubborn, but let’s not dwell more on where we put our support on. Whether Chamisa or Ed, for those are just humans. Let’s focus on Zimbabweans at large. Ed has been on the chair for the whole 5 years. What has he changed, as the new dispensation. He has made the bad worse
Gift Mashonganyika roads and dams
Gift Mashonganyika
Edison Sithole was a Noble Man who NEVER BURNED ANYONE IN THEIR HOME ARSON IS ATTEMPTED MURDER BCOZ WHEN THEY SAT THE HOMES ABLAZE THEY DID IT TO KILL HIM INSIDE NO EDISON SITHOLE WOULD DO THAT PLEASE DONT EVER COMPARE THUG SICKALA WITH ANY REVOLUTIONARY BRAVE FIGHTERS JUST D O N T‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Leerock ChisaleLeerock Chisale zanu beneficiary
Gift Mashonganyika uya akanyangariswa naPeter Walls.Wakambonzwa pane guva rake here.That guy was courageously intelligent,People of Edsons calibre are not wanted by politicians.They’re a threat.His disappearance is still a mistry because Mugabe also didn’t like such people because he knew the eventuality.This wa the reason he dislodged Ndabaningi by mudsmearing him.This the reason he setup Learnmore Jongwe.This was the reason the super four brigadiers ,Gumbo,Gachana and ,two others were reasigned to Drc and made sure they return dead
Leerock Chisale unotaura chokwadi Job mwana wasista vangu.Job haarambirwe.
Gift Mashonganyika Likening Sikh all and Edson Sithole is stretching the imagination or rather exploding the imagination. Whose house did Edson burn? Please clarify anything that you think Edson had in common with a criminal who thinks he should have been born during Edson’s time but wasn’t and prefers to do what Edson did but in the wrong time, and against a wrong opponent and against the wrong target and for the wrong reason and for the wrong purpose and for the wrong master and against history itself
Shumba Mushirivindi Masilo so are you saying Sikhala was not suppose to be arrested and Sikhala as a constituent father he was right to incite destructive messages which left his constituent children without shelter.
It should reach more than 5 million Zimbabweans we are not serious
Onwell Mhlanga Mlanzi mind you the majority are not on social media where this petition is circulating. Munhu arikumachonyonyo knows nothing about what is happening
Abigail Machaka I know that madam
You’re serious but lack traction. Those guys are criminals
Onwell Mhlanga Mlanzi to signer papi nhai broo
Fungai Musiya handina link racho asi endai papage rahopewell kana raflorance Chaurura moiwana ini ndakatosigner nezuro but you need to donate Mari shoma shoma ini ndakaita R200
Onwell Mhlanga Mlanzi hooo ok
Ccc haina vanhu iyoyi
I so glad that I m 1 in that 50 000🇿🇼
These is how our politicians are supposed to be in chains
Do you think petition can remove anyone from jail?
Kwete bodo ngaapiwe pake pakamufanira sevamwe maari imomo
Arnold Dennis Dziva Nox saka imi murikuti ngaavharigwe
Fanie Mtemba kana vachimuona mhosva ehe kana vasingaiwoni ngaabude
Kkkkkkk kwanzi ane mhosva anogara mukati.. asi panze
Where is the link of the petition tiisewo ma signature
Karen Percy go to Hopewell Chin’ono’s page 👏🏿
Ras Wencislaus thanks
Karen Percy Hazvichabatsiri because atopika kudhara chasara kutobuda
Shumba Mushirivindi Masilo mushirivindi chii ichocho ziku surname risina musoro semuridzi
Lynvee Moyo Chirandu Ndikudze asi wotopenga.Because kupenga hakuridzi bhera unotanga uchingoita kunge ku reason kunge katsi irikutandanisa mhasvu kusvika wova kufamba uchiverenga mashizha zvawava kuita izvo
Lynvee Moyo Chirandu Ndikudze asi wopenga
Petition kkk hazvishandi pamutemo
Felix Bangu kkkkkk
Taura hako Shumba
Felix Bangu chinoshanda pamutemo kutenhera munhu mutirongo pasina mutongo here nhasi sekuru baba Kali
Measly 50k for an Arsonist 😜
Manje kosiza ngani le petition?
Ahhh just 50 000 munyika ine an estimated populatin of 15 million
Iti munyika hamuna rule of law pettion inoshanda kunyika dzine mutemo kwete zveZanu Pf zvekwa Freddy izvoooo
Zixouh Kudakwashe Zixouh Chinoita kuti arambirwe akaita izvi pachine dzimwe dziri pending
Ngavagaremo
Leroy Tatendashe Lennox Chipaty asi wakanyengerwa hure rako
Shumba Mushirivindi MasiloShumba Mushirivindi Masilo kkkkkk maya mahure ngaadzidze
Haisi nguva yechihure ino
Leroy Tatendashe Lennox Chipaty are u really human?
Leroy Tatendashe Lennox Chipaty vese vanosimbirirana politics iwe kunobatwa basa zvekuti ukazviona iwe unobva wavenga politics zvachose.Pafunge panotambwa kongonya pajekerere kana zvazopera chii chinozoitikapo.Vazhinji vanemagirlfriends nemaboyfriends ikoko same same nevemagitare kana vezvigure kana bhora
Shumba Mushirivindi Masilo taura hako zvagara ndokwazvinoperera
Leroy Tatendashe Lennox Chipaty ndopaunonzwa umwe achiti wangu mukadzi akangwara anoita zvepolitics igamba pakadaro hey bakhithi kkk
Leroy Tatendashe Lennox Chipaty mhata yenyu munyori nemasoko enyu azere neutsinye mukati dai mwari akutorai amhuna bsa imi
Godknows Dube saka chii ichochi?
Fungayi Magwenzi iwe unoona sechii haikona kubvunza zvaunoziva
Godknows Dube ndinoziva chii? Go hang
Morethan 3 million Vakanyorera ku US embassy kut ma sanctions abviswe.
I’ve never had a sleepless night that he’s in prison ✅. Maybe his wife should yes off cause. ..At least ari kutambira salary yake ari pa basa so 😏
That thing called petion doesn’t work
The real heroes not the other ones who fought for wealth
How about people strike and vandalise chikurubi?
Ticky MdharaTinashe Chinovava Chidzvororo kkkkkkkk yah that’s a good idea
Taziva Charuza Collin coz everything seems to be failing
Ticky MdharaTinashe Chinovava Chidzvororo you can say that again
Sure
Ticky MdharaTinashe Chinovava Chidzvororo the question is who leads cz they did nt do antng wrng bt look wer they are while the real culprits tinavo muma streets
Elleny Nyashah lead pa tht march or strike here?
Ticky MdharaTinashe Chinovava ChidzvororoTicky MdharaTinashe Chinovava Chidzvororo either way
Ticky MdharaTinashe Chinovava Chidzvororo either way
Ok
Ticky MdharaTinashe Chinovava Chidzvororo mozouya ne feedback kuti zvinenge zvazofamba sei
Haa Zim ma1
Zvozodii?
If that worked then there would be no rule of law, but rule of supporters
Horaiti
50 000 over 15million citizens…kudhara wanku
Maxwell Musiyah that’s how selfish Zimbabweans are they through you under the bus & forget about you they ain’t worthy fighting for .
No petition will ever set him free
Mwana WaMai Walter taura hako
Action speak louder than words go to that court and demand his release not on paper
All those pertioners signing a document to interfere with the judiciary pillar of the state? Did those morons who signed even know what they were doing in signing that? Just imagine kwakangofanana nekufa
Aya zvavatopika vasati vatongwa
This won’t work pakuda toi toi yakasimba
Release him now
Ini wont sign that coz Sikala aitomborovera vanhu kuti vanosapoterei Zanu pf,saka atoriwo mboko
John Fish Save u can say that again
petition makadini kuitira vamwe vose vakapinda kumajere
Panashe Mon Ro Mashiri politics aside
even if its signed by 40 million people and the entire Europe,our courts should not be dictated upon by pertions or threats of
learn to leave the judicary alone!
Tendayi Mudadirwa Greene That judiciary is headed by monkeys.including ED
Zanu haina dhiri
Pane kambo kataimba nguva yehondo kainzi dzungu richapera.
At least arikuwana free meals ngazvigare imomo anobuda dumbu nedzungu zvapera
Noone is above the law… the courts will decide their fate.
Ko hant ndiye aikurudzira Hondo Saka avamo muhondo ngazvigaremo
Judgement day2 film rakare
Simbarashe Kaumbu just remember South Africa kwauri is turning the tables soon