'Coup plotter' Sikhala to appear in court today

Published: 10 July 2019

MDC-Alliance deputy national chairperson Job Sikhala was yesterday arrested on allegations of subverting a constitutionally-elected Government and is expected to appear in court today. He was by last night still assisting police with investigations.

Addressing a rally in Bikita over the weekend, Sikhala said his party would overthrow the Government before 2023.

"We are a committed leadership that will give Zanu-PF headaches and (Amos) Chibaya was not lying or joking about the war and fight we are going to take to the doorstep of Emmerson Mnangagwa. We are going to overthrow him before 2023, that is not a joke," he said.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest.

"We can confirm that Job Sikhala has been arrested for contravening Section 22 (2) (a) of the Criminal law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23) and will be appearing in court tomorrow," he said.

MDC also confirmed the development on their website.

"Hon vice chair Sikhala has been charged with contravening Section 22(2)(a) of the Criminal Code; Subverting a Constitutionally Elected Government. A warned and cautioned statement has been recorded from him and he will appear in court tomorrow," the party said.

On Monday, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said the undermining of a legitimate authority was a serious crime.

In a statement yesterday, MDC deputy national spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka said they had "noted with deep worry and concern" that Sikhala's statements made during the rally in Bikita East over the weekend had caused uproar and they wished to clarify their position regarding the same.

"It is the party's view that Hon Sikhala's views as expressed at the rally and widely quoted in the Press were his own personal opinions, which we believe have been misconstrued and misinterpreted.

"For the record, the MDC believes in constitutional, peaceful, democratic, non-violent and legal means of resolving the national crisis. We have never been perpetrators of illegality and non-violence. If anything, we have always been the victims," he said.

The MDC has, however, since its inception in 1999 has been cultivating a culture of violence and their agenda is to make the country ungovernable.

In January, MDC and its associates in the non-governmental sector, using social media, instigated violence that left a trail of destruction worth millions of dollars in Harare, Bulawayo and other cities after its hooligans barricaded roads, burnt cars and stormed schools where they beat up teachers.

They looted supermarkets, stoned or torched police and private vehicles and buses. They also beat up police officers trying to ensure law and order.

In May while addressing a congress, current MDC leader Nelson Chamisa suggested that there will be bloodshed throughout the country after his party's congress.
- the herald

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