MDC Alliance Vice Chairperson Job Sikhala has testified that he was threatened with death by Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Assistant Commissioner George Mutimbanyoka. Mutimbanyoka allegedly threatened Sikhala on several occasions including telling him that he was going to die in prison and should provide the name of his next of kin so that they inform him/her as soon as he dies. Sikhala has also complained about the place he is being kept in prison. He says he is being kept in Section D, where convicted hard criminals are kept. The Court has been told that the Section has also seen a number of deaths due to Covid-19. He was also kept in leg irons and handcuffs. Sikhala told the court that he no longer feels safe at Chikurubi Maximum Prison
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- A Zimbabwean journalist who has been held in prison for more than a month has been denied bail for the third time, while police continue arresting government critics. Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono should remain in jail, a Harare magistrate ruled Monday. Chin'ono is awaiting trial for allegedly encouraging people to participate in an anti-government demonstration planned for July 31, but which was foiled by police and military. He has been in custody since his arrest on July 20. His trial date has not yet been set but he will return to court for a routine remand hearing in September. “I will be strong. I am fine,” said Chin’ono from inside a prison van as he arrived at court Monday. Roslyn Hanzi, one of his lawyers, said prison autho
MDC ALLIANCE leader Nelson Chamisa has slammed President Emmerson Mnangagwa over divisive leadership and labelling political opponents as terrorists who must be flashed out. This follows recent threats by Mnangagwa against the opposition following a foiled July 31 anti-government protest the national leader said was meant to forcibly remove him from power. "This business of branding and blaming, labelling, condemning citizens as bad apples or terrorist to be flashed out it is unacceptable, it is the leader who set the tone for amenity, peace and harmony," Chamisa said Sunday. Chamisa reminded his rival of the duties of a leader he said should be found uniting as opposed to antagonising his people. "The frequency of any nation is set at the top by the leader, by t
The arrest of MDC Alliance deputy national chair Job Sikhala has opened a can of worms within the party with accusations flying around furiously on who exactly sold him out. This comes as two party members who had been living with Sikhala; Stephen Chuma and Jim Kunaka openly accused each other of selling out the Zengeza West MP. MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson Job Sikhala will appear in court today after he was remanded in custody on Saturday. This follows his movie-style arrest on Friday in Tynwald where a truckload of policemen armed with assault rifles and batons invaded Tynawald North in search of Sikhala. He was hiding at a house former Zanu-PF MP for Hurungwe East Sarah Mahoka used to reside. The police are said to have violently knocked down the gate to gain ent
THERE was drama in the Harare western suburb of Tynwald North as armed police arrested firebrand MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson Job Sikhala in Hollywood movie-style. Sikhala had been on the run for weeks after he was put on the police wanted list among several other opposition political activists and civic society leaders for their role in the foiled July 31 anti-government protests. Around midday on Friday, the Daily News on Sunday witnessed a truckload of policemen armed with AK assault rifles and batons and in another white twin cab, ferrying plain clothes men invade the usually tranquil suburb of Tynwald North, searching for Sikhala. When they arrived at a house where former Zanu-PF MP for Hurungwe East Sarah Mahoka used to reside, a woman disembarked from the
MDC Alliance national vice-chairperson Job Sikhala, who was arrested on Friday, will spend the weekend behind bars after the court threw out his application for refusal to be placed on remand. Sikhala, who is facing charges of inciting the public to stage violent demonstrations on July 31, appeared in court this Saturday. In opposing Sikhala’s application, the state told the court that there are in possession of video and audio clips that prove that the MDC Alliance official committed a crime. The state also said inciting people to stage violent street demonstrations violates the country’s constitution after his defence counsel had earlier on argued that the MDC Alliance official was exercising his constitutional right as enshrined in the law of the land. Sikhala through
A LEAKED telephone conversation between President Emmerson Mnangagwa's loyalists suggesting that he was weak and unstrategic in his government appointments, has gone viral on social media platforms. Voices in the audio are believed to be those of Mnangagwa's key proponent, tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei and Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa. Both Tagwirei and Mliswa could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the audio recording yesterday. However, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said, if the recording was authentic, then it proved that the President was not captured. "I listened to an audio circulating on social media (and) while its authenticity has not been verified, what stands out is that, the parties having a c
The former minister of Sports Recreation, Arts and Culture, Makhosini Hlongwane and former Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Tapiwanashe Majaya Matangaidze are reportedly among former ZANU PF members who have applied to be re-admitted into the governing party. The development was confirmed by the party’s Midlands chairperson Daniel Mackenzie Ncube who said Zanu-PF is a “big tent”, and that people who want to join or re-join the party were most welcome after being vetted. He told New Ziana: We have applications from former ministers. We have got applications from Makhosini Hlongwane and Tapiwa Matangaidze. We will be sitting down to make our decision on them. It’s something we should have done about two weeks ago, so we are trying
Girls who fall pregnant can no longer be excluded from attending lessons, while teachers will not be allowed to cane pupils, under amendments to the Education Act that became law this Friday. The Education Act Amendment was passed by Parliament, approved by President Mnangagwa, and has been gazetted. Under the amendments, “No pupil shall be excluded from school for non-payment of school fees or based on pregnancy.” During a debate in Parliament, the then Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima, said expelling a girl for falling pregnant had a discriminatory effect in circumstances where she would have been impregnated by a colleague who in most cases, would be allowed to proceed with his education. This was after some legislators argued th
Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono says he is starving in prison as he is not being allowed to get warm food from outside. He told his media colleagues on Wednesday when he made a court appearance that he was hungry and in need of food. Chin’ono is languishing in prison after he was arrested at his home last month and charged with ‘inciting violence ahead of the 31 July demonstrations. He denied the charges. His lawyers told the court that the award winning journalist is now surviving by biscuits and water as prison wardens are refusing to allow his relatives and friends to bring him food despite the court granting an order to allow him to have access to food, private medical care and his lawyers. The journalist who now looks thinner that he was a month ago, told
