By Staff Reporter
The High Court has overturned the conviction and sentence of former Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala, who had been found guilty of obstruction and defeating the course of justice.
The decision was met with relief and celebration by human rights advocates alike and opposition activists however, the former legislator remains in custody facing other charges.
“We have overturned the conviction and sentence of Hon. Job Sikhala, who had been convicted for obstruction & defeating the course of justice. Join us in thanking our dedicated and tireless lawyers Jeremiah Bamu, Harrison Nkomo, and Advocate Mutero,” announced the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), acknowledging the efforts of the legal team that played a pivotal role in this development.
Sikhala had received a wholly suspended six-month sentence in May of this year, with an option to pay US$600 or face six months in jail.
The charges against him were linked to a video posted on the internet in which he was accused of implicating the ruling Zanu-PF party in the death of Moreblessing Ali, a CCC activist.
Sikhala consistently denied making the video, and during the trial, an expert witness testified that the footage had been tampered with, raising questions about the authenticity of the evidence presented against him.
The video in question implicated the ruling Zanu-PF party in the death of Moreblessing Ali, a CCC activist.
Sikhala’s arrest in June 2022, following his attendance at Ali’s funeral, marked a tumultuous chapter in his legal battles.
Moreblessing Ali had been missing for three weeks before her mutilated body was discovered on June 11, 2022.
Sikhala, along with fellow opposition legislator Godfrey Sithole and 14 other CCC activists, was arrested in connection with the case and has been held at Chikurubi Maximum-security prison since then.
