Moreblessing Ali's family will only bury her after Sikhala's release

THE family of the deceased Citizens' Coalition for Change activist, Moreblessing Ali, maintains that the release of incarcerated lawmaker and family lawyer Job Sikhala is standing between them and the long overdue burial.

It has been a year since Ali was abducted from Chibhanguza shops in Nyatsime on 24 May 2022.

Her body is lying in a morgue which is unknown to the family.

"For as long our family representative, Job Sikhala, is still incarcerated, we cannot move forward because he was with us from the beginning and as a family we will stand loyal to him. So everything is on hold," said Tafadzwa Montgomery, sister to the slain Ali.

"The longer Sikhala remains detained, the longer the whole process will be delayed. We are also in prison, even as we wait for Sikhala, to lead us in finding the truth."

On 28 December 2022, there was an attempt by some extended family members to bury Ali's dismembered body parts, but they were stopped in their tracks by immediate family members, including her brother Washington and son Silence.

Silence is now in hiding after being trailed by security forces over a long time.

Extended family members, working with state actors, had bought grave space at Mabvuku Cemetery.

The burial order was cancelled after the intervention of the immediate family members. The grave had already been dug by the time the burial order was cancelled.

Montgomery confirmed that burial arrangements were clandestinely made.

"Part of the family tried to go behind everyone's back from the Ali side of the family," she said.

The family members managed to take the body from Parirenyatwa mortuary and sent it to their undertakers at a parlour unknown to the family.

Immediate family members do not know where Ali's body is.

"This is very heart breaking. We honestly do not know where my sister is. There has been speculation of this, that and the other, some of which I do not have the audacity to repeat," said Montgomery.

Sikhala was representing the Ali family and demanding justice for her gruesome murder.

He was arrested on 14 June 2022 for allegedly inciting members of the public to commit public violence by "uploading a video on ZimLive, YouTube and social media.

His trial began last week.

A month after his arrest in mid-June 2022, Sikhala was charged with obstruction of justice in the investigations that police undertook to find Ali's murderer.

For this he was convicted and fined.

Montgomery said the family was stressed by Sikhala's detention and their failure to bury Ali.

"Nyasha (Ali's daughter) and Silence have been troubled. We need closure," said Montgomery.

Commenting from his hiding place, Silence told The NewsHawks that he wants justice for his mother.

"The issue has taken too long and is now confusing me. We heard that Jamba is before the courts, but how are they having the trial in the absence of the family members? We need the truth. Jamba did not act alone in killing my mother. We need those people to come out and we need a way forward," he said.

Silence was forced into hiding after a series of events in which suspected state agents were lurking in their home area and intimidating him.

"It hurts that it has taken so long, but at the end of the day we do not have a choice, we have to wait for Sikhala. I got that call on the 24th of May last year being informed of my mother's disappearance and it has been a painful journey for me because I am just like Job Sikhala who is in jail because since my mother's death, I could not go to work or anything. I just managed to flee the intimidation from the guys who were following me, but I am unemployed and failing to make ends meet," said Silence.

Jamba appeared in court on 23 May 2023 for routine remand and was further remanded to 9 June 2023.

He has been in custody for almost a year awaiting indictment for trial at the High Court.