The Officer in Charge of Chikurubi Maximum Prison has reportedly issued death threats jailed MDC Alliance national vice-chairperson, Job Sikhala who was arrested on Friday for inciting public violence.
Sikhala’s lawyer Harrison Nkomo told Magistrate Lazini Ncube that on his detention Sunday at Chikurubi prison, the officer in charge of the facility, identified as George Mutimbanyoka threatened Sikhala with death. Nkomo said:
He was advised that he wanted to be the president of this country, which is undesirable. He was told that he shall die in this prison and was asked to provide the mobile number for his next of kin to be advised when he dies.
He added that Mutimbanyoka went on to instruct a junior officer, only identified as Murima to handcuff Sikhala the entire day.
Sikhala who is also reported to have spent the whole of Sunday in leg irons is said to have been detained in D Class which is for condemned prisoners.
Nkomo also told the court that the Zengeza West legislator was told by fellow inmates in D Class that seven of them had tested positive for Covid-19 the previous day while on the same day, four had tested positive to the deadly virus.
Sikhala claimed he had no sanitiser or personal protective clothing against coronavirus adding that he was willing to stay at any other prison.
The hearing on his application to be removed from remand was once again postponed.
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