HARARE Magistrate Tafadzwa Miti on Tuesday 30 January 2024 ordered former Zengeza West constituency legislator Hon. Job Sikhala to serve a non-custodial sentence of two years after convicting him of inciting public violence.
Magistrate Miti sentenced Hon. Sikhala together with Chitungwiza North constituency legislator Hon. Godfrey Sithole to serve two years in jail, which were wholly suspended for five years considering that the duo does not re-offend in that given period.
Hon. Sikhala and Hon. Sithole had been convicted on 24 January 2024 by Magistrate after standing trial at Harare Magistrates Court.
The two legislators were arrested on 14 June 2022 by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers, who charged them with incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(a) as read with section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
During trial, prosecutors alleged that Hon. Sikhala, who was represented by Harrison Nkomo and Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, recorded and circulated a video urging people to commit acts of public violence in seeking revenge for the death of Moreblessing Ali, an opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) political party supporter, who was murdered in Nyatsime area in Beatrice.
Hon. Sithole and Hon. Sikhala, prosecutors charged, supplied some vehicles which allegedly ferried some opposition CCC political party supporters from Chitungwiza and Epworth to Nyatsime, where they allegedly attacked some ruling ZANU PF party supporters and reportedly destroyed property at shops and beer halls and looted groceries and electrical gadgets including burning a one-roomed house belonging to George Murambatsvina, the ZANU PF party Councillor for Nyatsime.
ENDS
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