via Sikhala moved to Hre, faces treason rap 27 November 2014
OPPOSITION MDC-T activist and former St Mary’s legislator Job Sikhala who was arrested early Wednesday at Beitbridge border post has been moved to Harare with indications he is likely to be charged with attempting to overthrow the government.
The opposition party’s secretary general, Douglas Mwonzora, told NewZimbabwe.com that Sikhala who had arrived in Harare and locked up at the Law and Order Section had by Thursday afternoon been “cynically moved to the homicide section”.
“I have been able to talk to him over the phone and we are battling to get access to him. One of our lawyers Charles Kwaramba (a human rights attorney) is trying to get to him,” said Mwonzora.
“He (Sikhala) has since been moved to the Homicide Section but we are still not sure what charges they would want to prefer against him.
“It appears though that they want to charge him with trying to overthrow the government. We are not sure how he is alleged to have sought to achieve that.”
In its sensational claims of a sinister plot to topple President Robert Mugabe by Vice President Joice Mujuru and her acolytes, the state media has published excerpts of an audio recording in which Sikhala was allegedly discussing possible scenarios “to take out” the Zimbabwean leader.
Sikhala has scoffed at the claims. Powerful Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, deposed spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and Labour Minister Nicholas Goche have also been linked to the plot.
Meanwhile, Mwonzora angrily accused the police of selective application of the law.
“We have heard of very senior Zanu PF officials some now suspended, who are being accused of the plot to assassinate Mugabe but these have not been asked neither have they been questioned.
“We think this is a clear case of selective application of the law. I think they are targeting Sikhala because he is a soft target,” he said.
Sikhala is however, not new to being associated with plots to kill Mugabe. In the run-up to the 2002 election the politician was, along with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and other MDC-T activists, arrested and charged with treason in a marathon trial for which they were later acquitted.
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