Opposition firebrand Job Sikhala arrested in South Africa over alleged “planted” explosives
PRETORIA – Zimbabwean opposition politician Job Sikhala was arrested in Pretoria on Thursday night after South African police reportedly discovered what they described as explosives in the vehicle he was travelling in.
A police memo seen by Nehanda Radio says they were stopped on the “N14 highway towards Johannesburg, after Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre” and that they arrested “Two (2) African males, Alexander Thema, aged 78 and Job Sikhala, 53.”
The complainant was listed as the “State as per Sgt Puoane” who alleges that “while patrolling around sector 2 he received tip off about a Silver Ford Fiesta that is transporting explosives.
“Members of the reaction team then followed the lead and spotted the vehicle matching the description and stopped it. Upon searching 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuses connectors were found.”
Sikhala, a prominent critic of Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and a former legislator, has previously been detained multiple times in connection with his political activism.
Reports circulating among his associates suggest that the incident may have been the result of a setup.
According to accounts shared by his family and colleagues including Jacob Ngarivhume, one of Sikhala’s hosts allegedly took the car keys before police later intercepted the vehicle and claimed to have found explosives inside.
“I have been informed that Job Sikhala has been arrested in South Africa. Mai Sikhala told me that while Job was at a meeting last night, one of his hosts asked to check something in his car. He took the keys and then went away,” Ngarivhume stated.
“He returned after thirty minutes and asked that they all leave the meeting for it was getting late.
“Job then got into the car he was using. As they were on their way, police stopped them and searched their car.
“They found planted explosives and he was arrested and is in Pretoria at a local police station. Lawyers have been dispatched from Zimbabwe to help him on the case. South African lawyers are already on the case.
“This shows how the regime is desperately networking with regional bodies to fight those who are opposed to the corrupt and illegal 2030Nonsense.”
Zimbabwean activist Makomborero Haruzivishe described the incident as an “international sting operation” targeting Sikhala, accusing the Zimbabwean government of collaborating with regional actors to suppress dissent.
“The Mnangagwa’s dictatorship did an international sting operation against Job Sikhala last night in South Africa by planting explosives in his car and setting him up for arrest,” Haruzivishe stated.
“The Zimbabwean Zanu-PF government is targeting all who are resisting Agenda 2030!!!”
Neither the South African Police Service (SAPS) nor Zimbabwean authorities have commented publicly on the allegations.
This comes barely two weeks after suspected state security agents petrol-bombed a conference room at SAPES Trust in Harare, where a press conference was scheduled to be held denouncing the 2030 agenda.
