A leading opposition figure in Zimbabwe, Job Sikhala, who has been held in a high-security prison in the capital Harare for over a year and a half, was found guilty on Wednesday January 24 of inciting violence.
Mr. Sikhala is jointly charged in this case with an opposition MP, Godfrey Sithole, who was also found guilty after a year-long trial. The authorities accused the two men of inciting members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the main opposition party, to avenge the death of an activist, Moreblessing Ali, whose mutilated body was found in a well in May 2022.
Judge Tafadzwa Miti found that the prosecution had “proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” as she delivered her judgment to a packed courtroom on Wednesday afternoon. The magistrate ruled that the two men had incited public violence by transporting mourners to Ali’s commemorative ceremonies, which had been marred by violence. Sentencing is expected next week.
Job Sikhala, a charismatic figure beloved by Harare’s poor, who is also a lawyer, represented the family of the 46-year-old woman killed after her abduction by a militant of the ruling Zanu-PF party. The politician has been in prison since June 2022, awaiting a decision in several “politically motivated” cases, according to his supporters. He is also being prosecuted for publishing false information.