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Sikhala to surrender himself to police at 9 am
08 Jul 2019 at 17:08hrs | Views
MDC deputy national chair, Job Sikhala has confirmed being summoned to Harare Central police station for Tuesday where treason charges hang over his head over weekend threats to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The firebrand Chitungwiza legislator reportedly told a party rally in Bikita on Saturday that his party was planning to force an end to Mnangagwa's rule which the main opposition insists was illegitimate.
He on Monday told NewZimbabwe.com police have since summoned him over the comments.
"I agreed with them that I will surrender myself tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9am as I am out of Harare," he said.
"So tomorrow at 9am, I will be at the Harare Central Law and Order. They will prefer treason charges against me."
Addressing party supporters in Bikita, Masvingo on Saturday, Sikhala said his party was preparing to overthrow Mnangagwa before the Zanu-PF number one could end his mandate 2023.
"We are going to overthrow him (Mnangagwa) before 2023. That is not a joke," he said.
His rants did not sit well with the government which on Monday fired a warning shot to the opposition that the security institutions will be deployed to deal with protesters without thinking twice to guard against anarchism in the country.
"Trying to overthrow a government is subversive and government will not hesitate to deploy the security institutions to constrain such abuse of democratic tenets and maintain the constitutional order," Information permanent secretary Nick Mangwana said.
Meanwhile, the MDC has moved to distance itself from Sikhala's remarks saying the party deputy chairperson was speaking in his own capacity.
"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," national party deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said in press statement Monday.
The firebrand Chitungwiza legislator reportedly told a party rally in Bikita on Saturday that his party was planning to force an end to Mnangagwa's rule which the main opposition insists was illegitimate.
He on Monday told NewZimbabwe.com police have since summoned him over the comments.
"I agreed with them that I will surrender myself tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9am as I am out of Harare," he said.
"So tomorrow at 9am, I will be at the Harare Central Law and Order. They will prefer treason charges against me."
"We are going to overthrow him (Mnangagwa) before 2023. That is not a joke," he said.
His rants did not sit well with the government which on Monday fired a warning shot to the opposition that the security institutions will be deployed to deal with protesters without thinking twice to guard against anarchism in the country.
"Trying to overthrow a government is subversive and government will not hesitate to deploy the security institutions to constrain such abuse of democratic tenets and maintain the constitutional order," Information permanent secretary Nick Mangwana said.
Meanwhile, the MDC has moved to distance itself from Sikhala's remarks saying the party deputy chairperson was speaking in his own capacity.
"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," national party deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said in press statement Monday.
Source - newzimbabwe
