News / National
Sikhala confirms prison cell poisoning
01 Feb 2024 at 05:02hrs | Views
Sikhala, the opposition activist recently released after spending 595 days in pretrial detention, has confirmed that he was poisoned during his time in solitary confinement at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
In October 2023, around 550 days into his nearly two-year incarceration, Sikhala fell ill. This was not the first instance, as he had previously experienced illness in January of the preceding year.
Upon becoming sick, private doctors were summoned to conduct tests, which Sikhala mentioned are still pending completion.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com at his Chitungwiza residence, Sikhala expressed his suspicion that the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) had poisoned his food during an unannounced search of the cell where he was being held.
Confirming the poisoning, Sikhala stated, "News that I had been poisoned during my stay at Chikurubi Maximum Prison is true." He went on to elaborate, accusing prison officers who conducted an unannounced search of his cell of deliberately contaminating the food he had received from home. Throughout his incarceration, he refrained from consuming prison food, fearing that the state was seeking a pretext to harm him.
Sikhala recounted the distressing physical symptoms he endured, including passing stool with blood deposits and a significant weight loss within a few weeks.
Due to the lack of available medical supplies within government institutions, Sikhala had to turn to his family for medication, as they struggled to provide even basic necessities. He emphasized, "You have to understand that they do not have any form of medication. I had to invite my private doctors to attend to me and rely on my family to buy medication for me."
In October 2023, around 550 days into his nearly two-year incarceration, Sikhala fell ill. This was not the first instance, as he had previously experienced illness in January of the preceding year.
Upon becoming sick, private doctors were summoned to conduct tests, which Sikhala mentioned are still pending completion.
Confirming the poisoning, Sikhala stated, "News that I had been poisoned during my stay at Chikurubi Maximum Prison is true." He went on to elaborate, accusing prison officers who conducted an unannounced search of his cell of deliberately contaminating the food he had received from home. Throughout his incarceration, he refrained from consuming prison food, fearing that the state was seeking a pretext to harm him.
Sikhala recounted the distressing physical symptoms he endured, including passing stool with blood deposits and a significant weight loss within a few weeks.
Due to the lack of available medical supplies within government institutions, Sikhala had to turn to his family for medication, as they struggled to provide even basic necessities. He emphasized, "You have to understand that they do not have any form of medication. I had to invite my private doctors to attend to me and rely on my family to buy medication for me."
Source - newzimbabwe
