No joy for Sikhala

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent

The bail bid by MDC-Alliance national vice chairperson, Job Sikhala, who is facing charges of inciting public violence ahead of the flopped July 31 protests, was dismissed yesterday after Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube ruled that his behaviour before his arrest suggested that if granted bail he was likely to abscond.

He said it was clear Sikhala knew he was on the police wanted list, which was proven by one of the video clips played in court where he actually said he was aware that police were looking for him.

“If the accused person was not in hiding, he should have surrendered himself to the police,” said Mr Ncube. “Instead of surrendering himself to the police, the accused went on to shoot video clips admitting that police were indeed looking for him.

“The court is of the view that if granted bail the accused is likely to abscond as he went into hiding for a long time despite knowing that he was wanted by the police. The accused is not a suitable candidate for bail. Therefore, bail is denied.” Mr Ncube remanded Sikhala to September 17. In opposing bail, prosecutor Garudzo Ziyadhuma led evidence that Sikhala was a flight risk from Detective Collins Makore of the CID Law and Order section, who told the court that police struggled to arrest him.

Detective Makore said when police arrived at the house where Sikhala was with a warrant for his arrest, he was hiding in the ceiling and only responded after police threatened to throw a teargas canister into the house.

The court heard that from March 2020, Sikhala called on the people to demonstrate against the Government on July 31, by saying “there is a war we should fight and if we don’t fight, nothing will come out . . . I will fight the State since I’m not easily intimidated.”