Job Sikhala, vice-chairperson of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance party led by Nelson Chamisa, is facing charges of communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state or alternatively inciting Zimbabweans to revolt against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
The prosecution has also charged prominent journalist and documentary filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono, who was arrested last Friday for the third time in six months (Zimbabwean journalist released on bail after 6 weeks in jail), and the opposition party’s spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere, with communicating or publishing falsehoods. Like Sikhala, Mahere was also alternatively charged with incitement.
Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna ruled that Sikhala should face trial for violating a section of the country’s Criminal Law Codification and Reforms Act – but the relevant section was struck off the statutes by Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court in 2014.
An immigration officer processes the entry of a traveller entering South Africa at passport control.
Pretoria – The International Cross-Border Traders Association (ICTA) on Wednesday said the government of Zimbabwe has made a special arrangement allowing citizens with work permits in foreign countries to travel back to their foreign places of work despite a hard lockdown announced by the country’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the health minister.
“At first Mr Chiwenga announced that no one was allowed to make any movements (during the hard lockdown re-imposed last weekend to curb the spread of Covid-19). We then showed our disquiet to the government of Zimbabwe,” said ICTA president Denis Juru.