Job Sikhala, a Zimbabwean opposition politician and former MP, has been released after spending a record 595 days in pre-trial detention.
A Harare magistrate has handed Sikhala and his co-accused, MP Godfrey Sithole, a two-year suspended sentence for inciting public violence, with Sithole being granted bail after five months on remand.
Sikhala’s legal team plans to appeal the conviction at the High Court.
Sikhala was arrested in June 2022 and charged with inciting violence following the discovery of a dismembered body belonging to Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) activist Moreblessing Ali.
The incident sparked violence in Ali’s neighborhood, with Sikhala, who was the family lawyer, accused of using social media to encourage the unrest.
Despite being a member of parliament at the time, Sikhala denied the charges.
The trial magistrate convicted both Sikhala and Sithole, citing evidence implicating them in the violence.
While Sithole was granted bail after five months, Sikhala’s repeated bail applications were unsuccessful, leading to speculation of state persecution.
Sikhala has faced numerous arrests without any convictions.
Although released, Sikhala still faces additional charges, including disorderly conduct, incitement to violence, and spreading falsehoods, according to his lawyer.
Source-BBC
