Sikhala's wife convicted, fined for driving against oncoming traffic

INCARCERATED Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmaker Job Sikhala's wife Ellen has been found guilty of flouting road rules by Harare magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) accused her of driving against oncoming traffic while rushing to see her jailed husband in September this year.

She was found convicted after a full trial, during which she denied the allegations.

The magistrate ordered her to pay ZW$30,000 fine or face a two months jail term.

She was also barred from driving for six months and to surrender her license to the court clerk within  seven days.

During trial Ellen denied the allegations and argued she was targeted for being Sikhala's wife.

She also said she was arrested after failing to pay the police a bribe.

A state witness Kelvin Magadza, a traffic officer who was controlling traffic on the day, testified against her.

He told the court Ellen drove her vehicle against the flow of traffic and spotted her committing the offence 30 metres from where he was standing.

Ellen said she was arrested out of malice after she had refused to pay a bribe.

The traffic officer alleged that she was the one who offered to pay a bribe as she was running late to go and visit her detained husband.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi then rubbished insinuations that the arrest of the legislator's wife was politically motivated.

"They are politicising a simple traffic offense. Are we saying that because someone is a wife of a Member of Parliament she should not be arrested?" said Nyathi.