Job Sikhala to learn his fate today

Facing almost a year in jail on inciting violence charges, incarcerated Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator Job Sikhala is expected to learn his fate today.

Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa is expected to hand down her judgement in a case the politician is accused of disturbing police investigations.

The obstruction of justice charge came a few weeks after his arrest  on allegations of inciting public violence to avenge the death of murdered CCC activist Moreblessing Ali.

Both charges are from the same video which the state accuses him of publishing during the funeral wake of Ali.

Sikhala’s judgement was supposed to be handed down last week, however the presiding magistrate postponed it saying they needed enough time to go through closing submissions.

He was however put to his defence at the close of State’s case after the magistrate ruled that he had a case to answer.

During his defence, Sikhala denied ever publishing a video further arguing that a video tendered by the state as an exhibit was doctored.

A UNESCO Television Centre lecturer who testified in his defence said even before analyzing the video, the fact that it had a watermark showed it was not original.

Sikhala also has three other outstanding criminal cases.

He is accused of publishing falsehoods through his Facebook following an incident where a police officer was falsely accused of striking to death a baby who was strapped on its mother’s back in 2020.

Sikhala is also accused of inciting public violence using social media to convene the 31st of July 2020 national shutdown protests which were organised by Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume.

Ngarivhume was last week sentenced to four years in prison.