Zimbabweans on social media are expressing outrage after jailed former MP Job Sikhala went through surgery while chained in hospital.
Sikhala is currently imprisoned for allegedly inciting public violence and public disorder, among a cocktail of charges. Yesterday, the High Court overturned his May conviction and sentence for obstruction of violence, declaring him not guilty.
Police arrested Sikhala on June 14, 2023, following the brutal m_rder of CCC activist Moreblessing Ali. He has been denied bail several times despite his deteriorating health and lack of evidence against him. He has spent more than 500 days in pre-trial detention.
Sikhala was accused of making a video that claimed that the ruling Zanu-PF party had k!lled Moreblessing Ali, a CCC activist, and of misleading the police investigations into the m_rder case. He denied the charges and challenged the splitting of the charges as a form of persecution.
Sikhala is diabetic, and throughout his pre-trial detention, he has had his health deteriorate. At one point, he was reportedly vomiting bl00d at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
In October, his lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, told journalist Hopewell Chin’ono that he was passing stool with traces of bl00d after complaining of a rumbling tummy.
Today, Job Sikhala went for surgery to alleviate his illness. However, as he was lying on the hospital bed, prison officials fastened and chained his leg to the bed.
Zimbos expressed anger at this.
Kasukuwere:
“Highly despicable! What rank madness and cruelty is this?”
Silandule:
“People who experienced the brazen cruelty from the Smith colonial regime shouldn’t subject their citizens to such colonial madness in 2023. The real liberators of Zimbabwe are probably dead or out of power.”
Welly:
“Not sure why they want him to wear leg irons. Tichikura ndochataiti “Chifinhu” kuda kungokaurisa munhu chete. Dai Mwari vapindira murume uyu aburitswe mutirongo😪.”
Tatenda:
“Haaaa but why akanyanya kutadziye nhai mwari havarambe vakanyarara one ☝️ day is one day.”
Source iHarare
