Opinion / Columnist
Free Sikhala, Sithole & the Nyatsime 16
19 Sep 2022 at 18:44hrs | Views
I am calling for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to uphold the rule of law which states that bail is a constitutional right for everybody regardless of their social, economic and political background.
The Constitution, 2013 made the right to bail. That right must be implemented in the case of Job Sikhala, Godfrey Sithole and the Nyatsime 14 who have now clocked more than ninety days.
Mr President do not harden your heart like the biblical King Pharoah. We know that the judiciary is under your leash, why can't you unleash it so that it can freely operates without fear or favour?
What suprises me is the longevity of the case to be solved. They have evidence which they believe in and why is it taking too long to prosecute than remanding them for months? What kind of justice system are we exhibiting in Zimbabwe?
The most unfortunate thing is that our courts have now been turned into kangaroo courts rendering them useless and people have lost faith in our judiciary.
We know that arresting and detaining has become the only tool that Zanu-PF can use to incarcerate members of the opposition.
His incarceration is not justified. You fired four judges since you took over power because they refused to be tow along your desired expectations. Capturing the judiciary and oiling it for your personal gains is the only route which you have chosen in order to suppress dissenting voices. This is unacceptable. This unlawful detention and weaponisation of the law is unjustified.
Job Sikhala, Sithole and other 16 do not deserve such kind of a treatment. This travesty of justice is undemocratic and a recipe for disaster for our democratic institutions and it must be corrected.
In another similar case a student activist Alan Moyo who was arrested on 7 December 2020 on charges of inciting public violence and for allegedly participating in the organization of the 31 July 2020 anti-corruption peaceful protests had to spent 72 days in remand detention and later was granted bail in February 2021.
Weaponisation of the criminal law in Zimbabwe is continuing unabated.
Those perceived to be critical of government's policies are the ones targeted by this regime than real thieves who are bleeding the country's wealth.
A new government should institute a commission of inquiry to investigate some of these magistrates. Those who are found wanting must be held to account.
Email - konileonard606@gmail.com
Twitter - @Leokoni
+27616868508
The Constitution, 2013 made the right to bail. That right must be implemented in the case of Job Sikhala, Godfrey Sithole and the Nyatsime 14 who have now clocked more than ninety days.
Mr President do not harden your heart like the biblical King Pharoah. We know that the judiciary is under your leash, why can't you unleash it so that it can freely operates without fear or favour?
What suprises me is the longevity of the case to be solved. They have evidence which they believe in and why is it taking too long to prosecute than remanding them for months? What kind of justice system are we exhibiting in Zimbabwe?
The most unfortunate thing is that our courts have now been turned into kangaroo courts rendering them useless and people have lost faith in our judiciary.
We know that arresting and detaining has become the only tool that Zanu-PF can use to incarcerate members of the opposition.
Job Sikhala, Sithole and other 16 do not deserve such kind of a treatment. This travesty of justice is undemocratic and a recipe for disaster for our democratic institutions and it must be corrected.
In another similar case a student activist Alan Moyo who was arrested on 7 December 2020 on charges of inciting public violence and for allegedly participating in the organization of the 31 July 2020 anti-corruption peaceful protests had to spent 72 days in remand detention and later was granted bail in February 2021.
Weaponisation of the criminal law in Zimbabwe is continuing unabated.
Those perceived to be critical of government's policies are the ones targeted by this regime than real thieves who are bleeding the country's wealth.
A new government should institute a commission of inquiry to investigate some of these magistrates. Those who are found wanting must be held to account.
Email - konileonard606@gmail.com
Twitter - @Leokoni
+27616868508
Source - Leonard Koni
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