Job Sikhala (born 1972) is a Zimbabwean politician. He is the Deputy National Chairman of the political opposition party, Citizen Coalition for Change.
Job Sikhala has been held in a maximum security prison in Harare for 489 days. His application for bail has been denied over 15 times.
His crime? A video was posted on the internet in which Sikhala is accused of saying that the ruling Zanu-PF party had killed Moreblessing Ali, a CCC activist. Prosecutors alleged that by blaming Zanu-PF for the death, he diverted investigations that were focusing on other suspects. He denied making the video and an expert witness testified in court that the footage had been tampered with.
Sikhala was arrested on 14 June 2022 after attending the funeral of Moreblessing Ali. He was arrested and held at Chikurubi Maximum security prison (Harare), alongside fellow opposition legislator, Godfrey Sithole, and 14 other CCC activists.
Judgment had been expected on the 28 of April but was postponed to 3 May 2023.
Job Sikhala was handed a fully suspended six months sentence with an option of paying US$ 600 or spending six months in jail.
Despite his conviction and sentencing on 3 May, Sikhala remains in custody, as he awaits trial for two other charges of incitement to commit violence and disorderly conduct over the same video.
The ruling party, ZANU-PF, has a history of using governmental organs, physical violence and sexual violence to oppress and silence any opposing voices.
The use of courts as a political weapon is anti-democratic, erodes rule of law, violates human rights and results in injustice.
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