Chamisa urged to call Mnangagwa and negotiate Job Sikhala’s release

Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has been urged to call his bitter rival President Emmerson Mnangagwa and negotiate the release of ‘political prisoner’, the former Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala, who has been languishing in prison for over a year and two months now.

Sikhala’s party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has described the charges he is facing as frivolous and amounting to political persecution.

The outspoken former legislator was handed a wholly suspended six months sentence with an option of paying US$600 or spending six months in jail.

He was accused of saying that the ruling Zanu-PF party had killed Moreblessing Ali, a CCC activist who was murdered in June last year.

Sikhala is still in locked up on other charges including incitement to commit public violence.

Controversial businessman Acie Lumumba, real name William Gerald Mutumanje, has urged Chamisa to engage Mnangagwa over the issue of Sikhala.

“I genuinely believe President Emmerson Mnangagwa likes Nelson Chamisa, pick up the phone, setup a private meeting, get @JobSikhala1 back home to his children.

“Say what you like about Zanu PF but if you had touched one of their own a deal would have been negotiated on the first day, that’s why Mugabe or Grace never slept in a cell. Imbomirai ma sketch please,” Lumumba posted on his X handle.

“Well, if you don’t do this, one day is one day, Job Sikhala will one day come home, on this day Zanu PF will be the least of your problems in life, Job Sikhala will be your new occupation. I have never met Job wacho hangu, but he strikes me as the Kasukuwere of MDC/CCC. Moswera munyasha.”

Mnangagwa and Chamisa are already on a bitter rivalry with the latter accusing the former of rigging the recently held presidential elections. Chamisa lost with 44% to Mnangagwa’s 52,6%.

The plebiscite was, however, not endorsed by both the main opposition party, regional and international observers like the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the European Union (EU).

Chamisa is calling for fresh polls supervised by SADC.